Offset Printed Report Columns

Hi DennisKillmer,

Let's try to fix the report column by updating the QuickBooks Desktop for Mac. Please refer to this article for detailed steps on how you can do it.

You may also need to re-install the printer driver and look for a supported website to help you with this. Once you've set up this successfully, you can now try to print the report again.

Let me know how it goes. I'll be right here in case you need more help with QuickBooks Desktop Mac.

Hi, there.

There were no available updates for Quickbooks and I updated the printer driver to the latest version, but it still looks the same. I even saved a PDF version of the report and the totals are offset there too. I sure appreciate your help.

Thank you,

Dennis

Hi, there.

There were no updates for Quickbooks and I updated the printer driver to the latest version. It still prints the same and I saved a PDF version of the report and it looks the same. I included a portion of the PDF version of the report in my response.

I sure appreciate your assistance.

Thank you,

Dennis

Thanks for getting back to this thread, @DennisKillmer.

I appreciate your effort in updating your printer driver. When printing forms or reports, QuickBooks will depend on the PDF viewer installed on your computer. 

I encourage you to consult a computer technician to check your PDF viewer and to ensure that it is in the latest version. 

Don't hesitate to drop by if you have any other concerns. Have a good one! 

The printed reports look different than the onscreen reports. We changed the way the onscreen ones look several years ago.  We had a task this year to update the printed reports to look the same as the onscreen but didn't get to it.

It sounds like that's what you want?

Any idea when this might be fixed?

Thanks!

Hi DennisKillmer,

You can update your Adobe reader to the latest version. Let me share them with you to fix any printing issues.

Once done, you can run the QuickBooks PDF & Print Tool. Then, try printing a report.

I got this article in case you have other questions about QuickBooks for Mac: Account Management.

Let me know if you need anything else. I'll make sure to get back to you.

It looks like this tool is for Windows and I am running the Mac version.

I found a work around for printing a report with the columns misaligned. Even though the columns LOOK straight on the screen, they would print offset.  

If I drag each column in the report to the left - I am able to print a report with the columns aligned!!

Incidentally, this is EXACTLY the same thing I had to do with my 2016 QB version! Sad to say.

Please consider a fix -in the next update!  It takes time to prepare reports and when you have to go in and modify every one in order to have a professional look to the report it is costly!

Hi DennisKillmer,

Great job on coming up for a workaround. Let's perform other troubleshooting steps so you won't have to drag the columns of your report. 

Before we start, have you tried changing the scale? If you haven't yet, I'd suggest doing it so.

Here's how:

1. Open your report, then click Print or Preview.
2. Click Show Details to adjust the print settings.
3. Go to the Orientation section and make sure the scale is set to 100%.
4. Make sure the ▼ drop-down menu has Paper Handling selected and that Scale to fit paper size is unchecked.
5. Make sure the border is set to None.

Once done, print the report and check the columns again.

If you're getting the same results, please contact our Customer Care Support so we can create a case for you and investigate further.

You can also visit our page in case you need some help articles for your future tasks: Topics for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

Know that you're always welcome to post if you need help with anything else.

We have PC version 19 contractor but the reports have offset totals by one or two digits.  How do I clean up?  I am a consultant on this QB Construction version but am a QB user with my own "accountant" version.

Hello, 

My columns also print offset, and the work-around doesn't work for me.  Even if I move all the columns to the left, the reports still print offset (not how they appear on screen).  I also followed your suggestion of adjusting the "paper handling" options with no luck.  Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

Hello, user4752.

Thanks for keeping us updated on how the troubleshooting went through. I'll make sure to fix the print report column in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

Usually, this error occurs when your data is damaged or corrupted. We can run the Verify/Rebuild tool utility to detect data damage. 

Here's how:
 

1. Go to the File menu, then hover over Utilities.
2. Choose Rebuild Data.
3. On the QuickBooks Information window, hit OK. Follow the onscreen steps to save a backup.
4. Let the tool repair your file. It may take some time. QuickBooks may seem stuck, but as long as you can move your mouse, the tool is working.
5. When the tool finishes, select OK.
6. Go to the File menu, and then hover over Utilities.
7. Tap Verify Data.
8. Let the tool check your file for data issues.
    

If QuickBooks doesn't find any problems, select OK. However, if QuickBooks finds an issue with your company file, click Rebuild Now.

Also, make sure QuickBooks has its latest release. This is to ensure that everything is up to date.

However, if the issue persists, let's use the Print & PDF Repair Tool from the QuickBooks Tool Hub to fix most of the common printing issues. I'll guide you how:

1. Close your QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Download the most recent version (1.4.0.0) of the QuickBooks Tool Hub. Save it somewhere on your computer.
3. Open the file QuickBooksToolHub.exe.
4. Follow the on-screen steps to install and agree to the terms and conditions.

After installing it, double-click the icon on your Windows desktop to open the tool hub. Then, let's use the tools and go to the Program Problems tab to resolve common PDF and printing-related issues.

Here's an article you can read for more details: Fix common problems and errors with the QuickBooks Desktop Tool Hub.

If the issue persists, I recommend contacting our Technical Support Team to further investigation. Here's how:
 

1. Open QuickBooks.
2. Go to Help at the top, then tap QuickBooks Desktop Help.
3. Click Contact Us.
4. Give a brief description of your issue, then hit Let's talk, and then choose a way to connect.

Additionally, you may check our QBDT Mac Help if you need tips and related articles in the future.

If you have any concerns about printing, tag me a reply. I'll be around to help and back you up. Keep safe!

I have exactly the same problem. I have run Tool Hub (updated to latest version), latest version of DeskTop Pro 2021, ran utilities to fix the data file (although it was unclear to me how the data file would impact the print alignment...) etc. 

Previous comments indicated one solution was to drag columns -- I appear to be unable to do this.

I called in for support, but my support for my license has expired.

Question for me is whether this Quickbooks error is resolved in a 2022 version?

Hi there, @FPCNS.

Thanks for following up on this thread. I appreciate you for following the recommended steps provided by my peers. 

I've looked through our records. Currently, there's no ongoing investigation regarding this for any QuickBooks Desktop version. In the meantime, I suggest rebooting your computer and then printing again. If it still fails, I recommend contacting our Customer Care Support team. They can perform further troubleshooting to ensure you're able to print your reports properly and raise a ticket to engineering teams if needed.

Here's how:

1. Select QuickBooks Desktop Help from the Help menu.
2. Click Contact Us.
   
3. Type in a short description of your concern, then Continue.
4. Choose a way to connect with support.

Additionally, this article helps fix problems when you can’t print, email, or save as a PDF: Troubleshoot PDF and Print problems.

I'd appreciate it if you can update me on how it goes or if you have further questions. I want to make sure this gets resolved. 

Thank you. My version is out of support. Does QB desktop 2022 fix this problem? If you can upload some pdfs showing the problem is fixed, I might consider upgrading.

I have some workarounds (e.g., exporting to Excel and then formatting the report for distribution).

Somewhat surprised that the issue raised a couple of years ago hasn't been addressed. The support links provided are just 're-load windows'-type guesses.

I hear your sentiments, @FPCNS. I'm here to share additional information about your concerns to fix the issue.

Since you've tried the possible troubleshooting steps to fix the issue and tried contacted our support team but you're unable to do so, because you version is out of support. In this case, I'd like to know if you get a specific error message? If possible, you can also add a screenshot so that we can provide the right resolution for your concern.

Also, products affected by service discontinuation after May 31, 2022 are the following:
 

• QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2019
• QuickBooks Desktop Premier 2019 (General Business, Contractor, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Nonprofit, Professional Services, and Retail)
• QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 19
• QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2019
• QuickBooks Enterprise Accountant 19
• QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2019

Thus, QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2021 up to the latest versions are still supported with our Technical Support Team. You may check out this article for more details: QuickBooks Desktop service discontinuation policy.

Moreover, regarding to your printing issue, this can be caused by a variety of reasons. Here are some troubleshooting steps to fix it: Resolve printing issues.

Feel free to reach back if you have clarification or additional information. I'll be around. Have a good one!

Thanks for your response. To be clear, I am running DeskTop Pro 2021, and I was informed by the technical support team that my license is out of support.

I do not receive a specific error message (please review what I have written already, thank you).

As I said before, if you can upload screenshots demonstrating that this known issue is resolved in DeskTop 2022, I will consider upgrading to a version which is supported by the technical support team. 

I encountered this exact report printing problem when printing a memorized report in QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2024.  When looking at a report preview, everything seems fine, but as soon as a PDF preview is generated or the report is hardcopy printed, all the report data in the second and succeeding columns below the headers is offset to the right by a couple of columns, leaving blank columns below where the correct data should have been printed.

As noted in the discussion thread, I ensured I had the correct scale and an up-to-date version without database errors, and I even tried the QuickBooks Tool Hub to no avail.  I tried recreating the memorized report, but I had the same problem.

The solution that worked for me seemed simple. I expected to find the answer in some other discussion thread or article, but I could not find it online.  At the risk of repeating a widely available article online, I wanted to share what worked for me:

1. Click on "Customize Report" for the report that is not printing correctly.

2. In the pop-up window to modify the report, under the Display tab, within the Columns frame, uncheck every column to be displayed, then click OK.

3. Click on "Customize Report" again.

4. From the left to the right for the report, check the first column you want displayed on your report and click OK.  Repeat this step one-by-one for each column, rebuilding the column headers and the data below in separate Customize Report actions.

5. The report onscreen and the printed report (whether a PDF or a hardcopy) should now match from left to right.

Thank You for finding this printing solution. QB Support was trying to upgrade us to whole other product (Enterprise) because they couldn't find the solution and saying it was our current issue of Quickbook: Premier Plus Contractor Edition 2024. I was on the phone with customer support on hold and find your solutions online and I was able to work it completely by time the rep got back on the phone.

Thank you for this printing solution. I was on the phone with Quickbooks Support and they couldn't find the solution. They were telling me to upgrade to Enterprise from Quickbooks: Premier Plus Contractor Edition 2024 to get the full printing features. Seems to be a habit from their support. While on hold from their Customer Support, I found your solution online and implemented before the customer service rep returned from being online. Find a solutuion without upgrading. Thank you!