This worked!  My default was set to Microsoft Edge.  Easily installed Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, set it as default, and everything then aligned perfectly on both portions per page.  No further tweaking needed.  THANK YOU AlcaeusF!

Hello, @jendenham. 

Thanks for letting us know the steps provided by my colleague worked for you. I'm happy you were able to get back to business. 

Please know that you can reach out any time you need a helping hand. We are always here for you. Take care!

Printing the PDF from Windows Edge PDF viewer was the problem. Only the top *or* the bottom would align. Once I changed the default viewer for PDF to Adobe Acrobat the alignment issue was resolved. THANK YOU!

*****************  FIXED  ******************

This worked for me.  My default was PDF-X program.  I changed to Adobe Acrobat Reader.  Alignment corrected itself!  THANK YOU

That's great to hear @TandCLion.

Thanks for taking the time to share that changing to Adobe Reader worked for you.

Feel free to drop in anytime we can answer a question for you.

Have a great weekend!

I didn't have to change my default. I downloaded it and saved it as a PDF and that fixed the problem as well.

This worked for me!  Just add adobe acrobat as your reader and the forms will be aligned.  

I'm having the same problem. Can you tell me what to do? The link attached on the previous person wont let me open it.

Hello @Vbsilvas,

I appreciate you for reaching out to us here in the Community. I'd be glad to guide you on how to resolve the alignment of the form in QuickBooks Desktop.

The default PDF viewer of your computer affects the alignment of forms in QuickBooks. You'll need to change the default program to Adobe Acrobat Reader to get back on track.

For Windows 10, here's how:

1. Click the Windows Start menu.
2. Press the settings icon.
3. Select Apps.
4. On the left pane, choose Default apps.
5. Scroll down until you find .pdf and select its default program.
6. In the list, select Adobe Acrobat Reader (or any PDF viewer you've installed). 
7. Select Switch anyway.

For users using Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, please follow these steps:

1. Select the Windows Start menu.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Choose Programs.
4. Find the option Set default programs.
5. Search Adobe Reader (or any PDF viewer you've installed).
6. Select the program, then choose Set this program as default.

I recommend the following article to learn about things that affect the amounts in Boxes 1, 3, and 5 on your employees’ W-2s in QuickBooks: Understand why the wage amounts are different on your employee's W-2.

Keep me posted if you need anything else regarding fixing the printing alignment. Have a great day.

I was having the same problem and making Adobe the default app for .pdf files fixed the problem.  Thanks!

I purchased mine at office depot.  They are compatible with over 120 accounting programs but apparently QB is not one of them.

I am having this issue! Forms printed fine last year, but this year the bottom employee is too high. Adobe is already my default reader. Anyone have any other suggestions?

If you use the document feeder then the alignment for the Red W-2s and W-3 is askew BUT if you place the red forms in the paper tray then the alignment is perfect for the W-2s and W-3.  I too am using Adobe Acrobat.  Hopefully this works for you as it did for me.

Yes! This was the answer for me. Hope this works for others. 

Thank you

Where did you get your blank forms?  I've always gotten preprinted from quickbooks but they are not being helpful at all to resolve this issue

Which blank forms do you buy?

I am having the same issue and the alignment doesn't work worth a darn.  It prints with font too small.

I buy all of my forms from discountforms.com.

Now I file all of my W2/W3 online with the payroll subscription, so I only need to print 1099/1096 forms. But this company has everything you would need for either form.

Where did you find where to change from Microsoft Edge.. I am so aggravated right now.  I have spent 2-3 hours trying to get my W2s done out of QB

my original post was a fix changing what PDF program I used. You need to use Adobe and the alignment issue should be corrected. 

I appreciate your taking the time to find the option to change the default program. Agravated.

The steps to change the default PDF viewer from Microsoft Edge to Adobe Acrobat Reader are provided by my colleague AlcaeusF above. I'll share it again with more information.

Here's how:

1. Click the Windows Start menu, then choose the setting icon.
2. From the Windows Settings screen, Select Apps.
3. On the left pane, choose Default apps.
4. Scroll down until you find Choose default apps by file type.
5. On the left pane, scroll down until you see In the list PDF document.
6. Click the Microsoft Edge app, then choose the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC from the list as the default viewer.

Once done, follow the steps in this article to print your W-2 Forms: Print your W-2 and W-3 forms.

Additionally, you can read this resource to guide you in preparing your tax forms: Year-end checklist for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

If you have additional questions about printing tax forms in QuickBooks, please leave a comment below. I'll be here to assist you.

You can get all forms free from irs.gov

My settings were already correct, but I still had the same issue. I tried printing on a different printer and it printed perfectly. I'm not sure what my issue is, but if your settings are correct, try a different printer.

I guess you people are trying to help but you continue to post useless suggestions. The problem is not the pre-printed forms. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!!! They worked last year. Are you listening when they say the top and bottom are screwed up independent of one another. It doesn't help to suggest the same old articles and possoble culprits. We are all stuck with a program that has very little QB technical support. These people hide in a dark room and can't be disturbed. While we spend hours trying to complete what was a simple task last year, we are on our own. 

I changed my settings to Adobe Reader and the bottom W2 aligned but not the top