Printer only prints the first page: how to get the whole document out

When a printer only prints the first page of a document, the rest of the job has either never been sent, been lost on the way, or been dropped by the printer. Which one it is decides the fix. The good news is that the most common cause is a single setting in the print dialog, and most of the rest can be found with one test. This guide goes through them from the quickest check to the least common cause.

If the printer prints every page but they come out in the wrong order, see printer printing in reverse order. If the job stops partway through a page instead, see printer printing half page. Everything else is in the printer troubleshooting guide.

Step 1: Check the print dialog

Open the print dialog again and look at the pages setting before anything else.

• Pages or Page range should be set to All. A range such as “1” or “1-1” left over from an earlier job is easy to miss.
• Current page or Print current page prints only the page the cursor is on. Word, PDF readers and some browsers offer it.
• Selection prints only selected text, which may fit on one page.
• Odd pages only or Even pages only prints half the pages.

Many apps remember the last setting, so a one-off choice can stick for every following job.

Step 2: One app, or every app?

Print a short document of three or four pages from a different app, such as a word processor or browser.

• The test prints fully: the cause is the original app. Go to Step 3.
• The test also stops after page one: the cause is the computer, the driver or the printer. Go to Step 4.

Step 3: App-specific causes

Excel and other spreadsheets. Excel prints a set print area if one exists, and by default only the active sheet. Go to Page Layout > Print Area and clear it, or choose Print Entire Workbook in the print settings if you need several sheets. Scaling options such as Fit Sheet on One Page can also squeeze everything onto one page.

PDF readers. Check the page range and any “current page” option. If the PDF has heavy graphics, try an option such as Print as image, or print from another PDF reader. More fixes are in printer won’t print PDF.

Browsers. Some web pages use layouts that only print one page. Try the browser’s reader view, print to PDF first and then print the PDF, or select the text you need and print the selection.

Word processors. Check that the document is not set up with sections or fields that hide pages. Print preview shows what will be printed.

Step 4: Clear the queue and change how Windows spools

When every multi-page job stops after the first page, the job may be breaking off between the computer and the printer.

1. Open the print queue and cancel all jobs. If they will not clear, follow print spooler error fix.
2. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer and choose Printer properties.
3. On the Advanced tab, select Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster, then Start printing after last page is spooled.
4. Select OK and print the test again.

This makes Windows build the complete job before sending it, which helps when the connection or the printer cannot keep up with a job that is still being generated. Printing may start a little later.

On a Mac, cancel the jobs in the printer’s queue window, remove and re-add the printer, and try again. See printer not working on Mac for the steps.

Step 5: Jobs too large for the printer’s memory

Printers process each page in their own memory. A document with large photos, scanned pages or complex graphics can produce a job too big for some printers, especially older lasers and small inkjets. Typical signs: the first page prints, then the printer stops, prints an error page, or skips pages.

• Print in smaller ranges, for example pages 1-5, then 6-10.
• Use a Print as image option in the PDF reader, or lower the print quality from Best to Normal.
• Reduce the size of images in the document before printing.
• On office printers, check whether the driver offers a setting for the amount of installed memory and that it matches the printer.

Step 6: Driver and connection

A generic driver or one meant for a different model can drop pages, print only the first page, or print the rest as nonsense. If later pages come out as random characters, see printer printing gibberish.

1. Check which driver the printer uses in Printer properties.
2. Install the current driver for your exact model, or the built-in Windows driver if your printer supports it; see printer driver is unavailable.
3. If the printer is on Wi-Fi and pages stop at random points, check the connection; see printer keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi.
4. For USB printers, try another cable and a USB port directly on the computer.

Step 7: Paper and printer-side causes

Less often, the printer itself stops after one page:

• A sheet fails to feed for page 2 and the printer waits with a paper message. See printer not picking up paper.
• Manual duplex prints the first side, then waits for you to reinsert the paper. Look for a message on the computer or printer.
• Hold, Store job or Secure print options keep the rest of the job on the printer until you release it at the control panel.
• Manual feed settings print one page and wait for the next sheet to be inserted.

A quick way to narrow it down

If you are not sure which step applies, these patterns point to the likely cause:

• Exactly one page, every time, from one app: page range, current page or print area (Steps 1 and 3).
• Exactly one page, from every app: spooler, driver or a manual feed or duplex setting (Steps 4, 6 and 7).
• A few pages, then it stops, with large documents only: printer memory (Step 5).
• Stops at random points, sometimes mid-job: the connection, a stalled queue or a paper feed problem (Steps 4, 6 and 7).

Note what you see in the print queue while the job runs. If the queue shows all pages sent and the printer still prints one, the printer side is dropping them. If the queue shows the job stuck after the first page, the computer side is the problem.

Once the cause is fixed, print the original document again rather than resuming the old job, so you get a clean, complete copy.