Fix printing problems in Firefox

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  • Creator: Lan
  • Comment: Corrected my update (I'm sorry!)
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  • Reviewed by: ideato
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This article describes how to troubleshoot printing problems in Firefox.

Check Firefox page settings

If a web page prints incorrectly in Firefox:

  1. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button, go over to the Print... menu and select Print Preview.Click on the File menu and select Print Preview.Click the menu button The image "new fx menu" does not exist. and select Print. The print preview window will appear.
  2. In the print preview window, make sure Scale is set to Shrink To Fit.
  3. Make sure the Portrait orientation is set.
  4. Click Page Setup.... The Page Setup window will appear.
  5. In the Page Setup window, click the Margins & Header/Footer tab.
  6. In the Margins section, make sure the page margins are set correctly (the default setting is 12.7 mm, or 0.5 in).
  7. Click OK to close the Page Setup window and return to the Print Preview window.
  8. Back in the Print Preview window, click Print.... The Print window will appear.
  9. Make sure the correct printer is shown in the Name field.
  10. Make sure the Print to file setting is not selected.

If you made changes, go ahead and attempt to print the page again. If not, follow the instructions below.

Check Firefox page settings

If a web page prints incorrectly in Firefox:

  1. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button, go over to the Print... menu and select Print Preview.Click on the File menu and select Print Preview.Click the menu button The image "new fx menu" does not exist. and select Print. The print preview window will appear.
  2. In the print preview window, make sure Scale is set to Shrink To Fit.
  3. Make sure the Portrait orientation is set.
  4. Click Print. The Print window will appear.
  5. Make sure the correct printer is shown in the Name field.
  6. Click the Page Setup tab. Ensure that the page margins are set correctly (the default setting is 12.7 mm, or 0.5 in).

If you made changes, go ahead and attempt to print the page again. If not, follow the instructions below.

Check other browsers and printers

You can see whether your problem is with Firefox, your printer, or the website you're visiting:

  • Check to see whether the page prints correctly in another browser (such as Internet ExplorerSafariEpiphany).

If the page prints incorrectly in another browser also:

  • There might be a problem with your printer: If you have another printer, try printing the page with that printer. If the second printer prints the page properly, update your printer driver from your printer manufacturer's website.
  • There might be a problem with the page. Contact the website administrator.

If the page prints correctly in another browser, follow the instructions below in the following sections.

Reset Firefox printer setting

Several printer issues can be resolved by resetting Firefox's printer settings:

  1. Type about:config in the address bar and press EnterReturn.
    A warning page may appear. Click Accept the Risk and Continue to go to the about:config page.
  2. In the Search field, type print_printer.
  3. Right-clickHold down the control key while you click on the print_printer setting and select Reset.
  4. Click the Firefox menu Fx89menuButton and select Exit.Click the Firefox menu at the top of the screen and select Quit Firefox.Click the Firefox menu Fx89menuButton and select Quit.

When you start Firefox again, try printing the page with which you had problems previously.

Note:In old versions of Firefox print.print_printer was the preference name. The old preference name may exist along with the new name. That old preference can be removed via a right-clickcontrol-click and Reset, then restart Firefox, and print something. That preference won't reappear, only the newer should be there.

Reset all Firefox printer settings

If the above steps did not work, you may want to reset all of Firefox's printer settings:

  1. Open your profile folder:

    • Click the menu button Fx89menuButton, click Help and select More Troubleshooting Information.From the Help menu, select More Troubleshooting Information. The Troubleshooting Information tab will open.
    • Under the Application Basics section next to Profile FolderDirectory, click Open FolderShow in FinderOpen Directory. A window will open that contains your profile folder.Your profile folder will open.
    Note: If you are unable to open or use Firefox, follow the instructions in Finding your profile without opening Firefox.

  2. Click the Firefox menu Fx89menuButton and select Exit.Click the Firefox menu at the top of the screen and select Quit Firefox.Click the Firefox menu Fx89menuButton and select Quit.
  3. In your profile folder, copy the prefs.js file to another folder to make a backup of it.
  4. Open the original prefs.js file in a text editor (such as WordPadTextEditEmacs).
  5. Remove all lines in prefs.js that start with print_ and save the file.

If something goes wrong when you open Firefox, close it again and overwrite prefs.js with the backup you made.

Change the default font

The Times New Roman font may not be recognized by your printer. Change the default font to a similar font, e.g. Trebuchet MS:

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Select the Content panel.
  3. Under Fonts & Colors, select Trebuchet MS for the default font.
  4. Close the Settings page. Any changes you've made will automatically be saved.