Dynamics NAV reports misaligned — PCL vs PS driver fixes

Q: Should I use PCL or PostScript for NAV report printing?

For typical office documents, many teams find PCL (often PCL6) more predictable and faster. PostScript (PS/PS3) can be useful for certain workflows, but it may expose different margins and cause slight alignment changes on pre-printed forms. The best choice is the one that prints consistently in your environment, and you should standardize on one driver family for NAV reports.

Q: How do I fix right side cut off or a left shift after switching to a PS driver?

First set the correct paper size and 100% / Actual size scaling in Printing Defaults. Then compare PCL vs PS with identical settings. If PS still clips or shifts, it is likely a printable area difference. Use PCL for NAV direct printing, or add a small RDLC buffer (reduce body width / adjust margins) so the layout stays within the printable region.

Q: Why does this happen more in Remote Desktop (RDP) / terminal server printing?

Remote Desktop creates redirected printer instances that can have different defaults (paper size, scaling, tray) from the local printer. Users may select different redirected versions, causing inconsistent margins. Standardize the driver on the server, set Printing Defaults, and avoid mixing driver families (PCL vs PS) for NAV reports unless the RDLC layout has a tolerance buffer.

Updated: December 12, 2025 · Answered by Joe B. in 5 mins

Joe B.

Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers

Specialities: Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) report printing, RDLC/SSRS layout issues, PCL6 vs PostScript (PS) drivers, Windows print spooler, Remote Desktop printer redirection, page size/margins, PDF vs direct-to-printer output

Fix Dynamics NAV reports misaligned — PCL vs PS, margins, scaling, and print driver settings

Technician

Hi! We can definitely sort out Dynamics NAV reports misaligned (also called Navision report alignment issues) so your invoices, picking lists, checks, or pre‑printed forms line up correctly on paper.

With NAV, misalignment usually isn’t the “report logic” — it’s the print pipeline: the NAV client (RTC/Classic), RDLC/SSRS layout, Windows printer driver, and the way the driver renders pages (PCL6 vs PostScript/PS). A driver change (or Windows update) can shift content a few millimeters, clip the right edge, or scale the whole page so it prints “too far left.”

To pinpoint whether this is a PCL vs PS driver behavior, a paper size mismatch (A4 vs Letter), or a NAV layout setting, tell me:
• Which NAV version/client: NAV 2009 Classic, NAV 2013/2015/2016 RTC, or something else?
• Does the report look correct in Print Preview / Print Layout, but misalign only when printing?
• Printer model + driver type: PCL5/PCL6, PS/PS3, Universal Print Driver, XPS, etc.
• Is this happening on one PC, or on a Remote Desktop / Terminal Server (redirected printers)?
• Which report(s): invoice, sales order, warehouse doc, check, or a custom RDLC report?

Once I know that, I’ll walk you through the safest fix order: page size & margins, then driver rendering (PCL vs PS), then NAV layout tweaks only if needed.

Customer

We’re on Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 (RTC) with RDLC reports. Our invoices started printing slightly off — like shifted left and the right side is cut off. Print Preview looks fine, but on paper it’s misaligned.

It happens on a couple of Windows 11 PCs (not everyone), and the printer is an HP LaserJet. We recently switched the driver from HP Universal Printing PCL6 to HP Universal Printing PS because of another issue, and that’s when this misalignment started. We also print via a Remote Desktop session sometimes.

Technician

Perfect — the details line up with a classic scenario: NAV 2016 RDLC prints fine in preview, but the physical print is misaligned after switching PCL6 ↔ PS.

Here’s what’s going on in plain terms. RDLC/SSRS generates a layout that is “page‑exact” in preview, but the final position on paper depends on how the Windows driver converts that layout to printer language:
• A PostScript (PS/PS3) driver may apply slightly different printable area margins than PCL, especially on HP universal drivers. A tiny margin change can push content left or clip the right edge.
• A mismatch in paper size (A4 vs Letter) or a driver default like “Fit to Page / Scale to fit” can shrink/shift output even when preview looks correct.
• On Remote Desktop / printer redirection, Windows can map a different “instance” of the same printer with different defaults (tray, paper size, margins), causing only some users to see the misalignment.

The goal is to make NAV print consistently by locking three things: paper size, scaling, and driver type (PCL vs PS). We’ll fix this without touching your report design unless we absolutely must.

Customer

That makes sense. We’re mostly on Letter paper, but one office uses A4 sometimes. I suspect a few users might have A4 defaulted in Windows. Also, on Remote Desktop, I see multiple printers like “HP LaserJet (redirected 3)” and the output changes depending on which one is selected.

What’s the fastest way to confirm whether it’s the PS driver printable area vs a paper size / scaling issue? We’d like a fix that works for everyone, not just one PC.

Technician

Great question — here’s a quick diagnostic that usually isolates the cause in 5–10 minutes.

Step A — Confirm paper size and scaling in Windows for the exact printer instance
1) On a PC that prints misaligned, open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners (or Control Panel if you prefer).
2) Click the exact printer you print from (for RDP, pick the redirected one you actually select in NAV).
3) Open Printing preferences and verify:
• Paper size: Letter (or A4 if that’s the office standard). Don’t leave it on “Automatic.”
• Scaling: set to Actual size / 100% (disable “Fit to page,” “Shrink oversized pages,” “Scale to fit,” or similar).
• Orientation and tray are correct (wrong tray can force a paper size switch).

Step B — Compare PCL vs PS with the same settings
If possible, add/install the same printer twice: one using PCL6 and one using PS. Print the same NAV invoice from each driver, with identical paper size and scaling. If PS still clips/right‑cuts or shifts while PCL doesn’t, you’ve confirmed a PS printable-area difference rather than a report layout bug.

Quick tell: if the cut‑off always happens at the same edge (often the right side), it’s usually printable area margins or an incorrect page width interpretation by the driver.

Customer

I checked one of the PCs with the issue. The printer preferences on the PS driver were set to A4 even though the office uses Letter. Scaling was also set to something like “Fit.” I changed it to Letter and 100% and it improved, but we still see a slight shift left on some invoices (not all).

We installed the PCL6 version again and the alignment looks better overall. But we still need PS on one machine for a separate workflow. Is there a way to keep PS but stop NAV reports from being slightly off?

Technician

Yes — you can often keep PS and stabilize alignment by locking the defaults and tweaking a couple of Windows/driver options that affect how RDLC is rendered.

Step C — Set “Printing Defaults” (not just Preferences)
This is important because NAV/RTC and Remote Desktop sessions sometimes read the printer’s default settings rather than per‑user preferences.
1) Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
2) Right‑click the printer → choose Printer properties.
3) Go to Advanced → click Printing Defaults…
4) Set the same baseline: Letter (or A4), 100% scaling, correct tray, and save.

Step D — Try these PS‑driver options that impact NAV/RDLC alignment
Look for options like (names vary by HP driver):
• Disable “Advanced printing features” (Windows setting) to avoid EMF rendering quirks.
• Switch between “Print directly to the printer” vs spooled printing (Printer properties → Advanced). Some PS drivers behave differently with the Windows spooler.
• In HP Universal PS, try toggling settings like “Optimize for speed vs quality” or “Send TrueType as bitmap” (if present). These can slightly alter glyph metrics and shift right‑aligned fields.

In other words, we’re removing “helpful” scaling/processing that changes page metrics and makes NAV reports look like they’re drifting.

Customer

We set Printing Defaults to Letter and 100% on the PS driver. That fixed the cut‑off, but we still have a small left shift on one custom invoice (it’s a pre‑printed form). PCL6 lines up perfectly, PS is slightly off.

Is that just unavoidable with PS, or can NAV be adjusted without redesigning the whole report?

Technician

When PCL prints aligned but PS is slightly shifted on pre‑printed forms, it usually comes down to the driver’s hard margins (non‑printable area). PCL and PS can expose a different printable rectangle even on the same printer model.

Before we touch layout, we can do two NAV‑friendly checks that often solve “PS drift” without a big redesign:

Step E — Confirm the RDLC page metrics aren’t right on the edge
If the report body width is too close to the page width, a small margin difference can cause clipping/shift on PS.
• In the RDLC, check PageSize (Width/Height) and Margins (Left/Right/Top/Bottom).
• Make sure Body width + Left margin + Right margin is strictly less than the Page width (give yourself a buffer, not “exactly equal”).
• For pre‑printed forms, keep objects inside a safe area — PS margins can be slightly larger than PCL margins.

Step F — Test “Print to PDF” then print the PDF using PS
If NAV → PDF is aligned, but NAV → PS is not, that points to the direct RDLC-to-driver rendering path. Printing the generated PDF can normalize metrics (especially if you print at Actual size with “Choose paper source by PDF page size” disabled).

This is a practical workaround some teams use: NAV prints to PDF (or preview), then prints reliably regardless of PCL/PS differences.

Customer

Printing to PDF and then printing that PDF does line up better, even using the PS driver — as long as we use “Actual size.” But our users prefer direct printing from NAV because it’s faster during order processing.

I can check the RDLC margins. This is a custom report and the body might be close to the full page width. If we adjust margins slightly, will it help both PCL and PS? Also, does Remote Desktop change anything about how NAV renders the report?

Technician

Yes — a small margin adjustment can help both, and Remote Desktop can amplify the problem if printer instances differ.

Step G — RDLC “safety buffer” (best practice for mixed drivers)
If your report is built for a pre‑printed form, add a tiny buffer so it survives margin differences between PCL6 and PS drivers:
• Increase Left/Right margins slightly (even a few mm) or reduce body width by a small amount.
• Keep critical alignment elements (totals, address blocks, barcodes) away from the extreme edges.

Step H — Why Remote Desktop makes NAV report alignment inconsistent
On a terminal server, users often print to redirected printers. Each redirected instance can carry different defaults (A4 vs Letter, scaling, tray, duplex). NAV prints through whatever Windows reports as the active printer, so two users can get different margins even with the same model printer.

Practical fix for consistency:
• Standardize on one driver family for NAV printing (often PCL6 for speed and predictable office output).
• If someone needs PS for a special workflow, keep it as a separate printer name, and don’t use it for pre‑printed form NAV reports unless the report has that safety buffer.

Also: if alignment only breaks in RDP, ensure the same driver is installed on the server (or use a universal driver consistently), so Windows doesn’t “substitute” a different driver behind the scenes.

Customer

This explains why it’s “random” — it depends on which redirected printer instance they pick and what default paper size it has.

We can standardize on PCL6 for NAV direct printing and reserve PS for the special case. For the one custom pre‑printed invoice, I’ll reduce body width and add a small margin buffer so PS doesn’t shift it. Before we roll this out, can you summarize the most important settings to lock down so the NAV reports don’t drift again after updates?

Technician

Absolutely — here’s the “make it stay fixed” checklist for Dynamics NAV report misalignment, especially when comparing PCL vs PostScript drivers:

• Paper size: Set Letter or A4 explicitly in Printing Defaults (not only per-user preferences). Avoid “Auto.”
• Scaling: Force 100% / Actual size. Disable “Fit to page,” “Shrink,” or any driver scaling feature.
• Driver consistency: Use a consistent driver for NAV (often PCL6 or a known-good Universal PCL driver). Keep PS as a separate printer name for special workflows.
• RDP consistency: Standardize the driver on the server, and avoid users choosing different redirected instances with different defaults.
• Windows spooler options: If PS still behaves oddly, test toggling “Advanced printing features” and “Print directly to the printer” to avoid EMF rendering differences.
• RDLC tolerance: On pre‑printed forms, keep a small buffer: ensure page width vs body width isn’t razor-thin, so minor driver hard-margin differences don’t cause shifts or right-edge cut-off.

If you lock those down, NAV invoices and other RDLC reports usually print consistently even across Windows updates and driver refreshes.

Customer

That’s very clear. Once we fixed A4/Letter and scaling, most reports were fine. The remaining issue makes sense as a PS hard-margin difference, and adding a buffer in the RDLC for pre‑printed forms seems like the right long-term approach.

We’ll standardize on PCL6 for NAV printing and keep PS separate. If we run into another report printing off the form, we’ll reach out in chat.

Technician

You’ve got it — and you’re approaching it exactly the way we would in a production NAV environment.

Summary: When Dynamics NAV reports are misaligned after switching PCL vs PS, the quickest reliable fix is to standardize the driver and lock down paper size + 100% scaling in Printing Defaults, especially for Remote Desktop redirected printers. If PS must be used, either print via PDF as a workaround or make the RDLC layout slightly more tolerant by ensuring the body width + margins don’t ride the page edge.

If you ever see NAV invoice shifted, RDLC cut off on the right, wrong page size in Navision, or pre-printed form alignment drifting, you can start a chat with an expert and we’ll check your driver type (PCL6 vs PS3), page metrics, and RDP setup with you live.

Customer

Perfect — the step-by-step approach helped a lot. We now know how to test PCL vs PS, where to set Printing Defaults, and why redirected printers can cause different results. Thanks for the thorough explanation!

Technician

Any time! If your team runs into Dynamics NAV report printing misalignment again — especially after a Windows update, driver upgrade, or switching between HP Universal PCL6 and HP Universal PS — remember the quick checklist: paper size (Letter/A4), 100% scaling, consistent driver, and stable RDP printer defaults.

And if you want someone to validate your exact printer model, driver version, and NAV/RDLC page settings, just start a chat with an expert and we’ll help you lock it down.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix for Dynamics NAV reports misaligned (especially after switching PCL vs PostScript): set the correct paper size (Letter or A4) and 100% / Actual size scaling in the printer’s Printing Defaults, not only per-user preferences. If printing via Remote Desktop, apply the same defaults to the specific redirected printer instance users select in NAV. If output still shifts or clips on the PS driver, standardize NAV direct printing on a known-good PCL6 driver (or a consistent universal PCL driver) and keep PostScript for special workflows. For pre-printed forms, add a small RDLC safety buffer (reduce body width or slightly increase margins) so hard-margin differences between PCL and PS do not move content off the form.

Why NAV reports print misaligned with PCL vs PostScript drivers

In Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision), the report preview can look perfect while the printed output shifts because RDLC/SSRS rendering is interpreted differently by the Windows printer driver. A PCL6 driver and a PostScript (PS/PS3) driver can expose different hard margins (non‑printable areas), which changes where the printable region starts on the page. If your RDLC layout is close to the page edge (common with invoices, checks, and pre‑printed forms), even a tiny margin difference can show up as a left/right shift or a right-side cut‑off.

Misalignment is also common when paper size defaults drift (A4 vs Letter), when drivers are upgraded (HP Universal Print Driver updates), or when printing through Remote Desktop / terminal server where redirected printer instances have different defaults. The most reliable fix is to lock down paper size + 100% scaling in Printing Defaults and standardize the driver used for NAV printing.

How to isolate a NAV printing alignment issue (driver vs report)

Start by confirming whether the issue is a driver/rendering problem or an RDLC layout boundary problem. If Print Preview / Print Layout is correct but paper output is not, suspect the printer driver or its defaults. Install both PCL6 and PS versions of the same printer and print the same NAV report at 100% scaling. If only PS shifts or clips, you’ve confirmed a PS printable area difference.

If both PCL and PS misalign, check the RDLC report’s PageSize, Margins, and Body width. Make sure the content does not exceed the page width once margins are included. For pre‑printed forms, keep a small buffer so a minor change in driver margins won’t break alignment after a Windows update or driver swap.

Dynamics NAV reports misaligned — quick troubleshooting tips

Lock paper size, remove scaling, and standardize the driver (PCL vs PS) to stop drift.

Fast path: when NAV invoice / report prints misaligned, open the printer’s Printing Defaults and set the correct Letter or A4 paper size plus 100% / Actual size scaling (disable “Fit to page”, “Scale to fit”, or “Shrink oversized pages”). If the issue started after switching drivers, test PCL6 vs PostScript (PS3) with identical defaults. If PS shifts content while PCL stays aligned, use PCL6 for NAV direct printing and keep PS for special workflows, or print the NAV output to PDF first and print the PDF at Actual size. For pre‑printed forms, add a small RDLC margin/body-width buffer so output remains aligned even when driver hard margins differ.

Disclaimer: This information is AI-generated and intended for general guidance only. For advice specific to your NAV version, RDLC layout, printer model, driver family (PCL/PS), and Remote Desktop configuration, please consult a verified expert on Whizz-Tech before making changes.

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FAQ

Why are Dynamics NAV reports misaligned when printed (but preview looks correct)?

If the NAV preview is correct but the printed page shifts, the issue is usually the Windows printer driver rendering, not the report logic. Different drivers (especially PCL6 vs PostScript/PS) can have different hard margins and printable areas. Paper size defaults (A4 vs Letter) and scaling (Fit to page) can also shift output. Lock paper size and 100% scaling in Printing Defaults and standardize the driver used for NAV printing.

Should I use PCL or PostScript for NAV report printing?

For typical office documents, many teams find PCL (often PCL6) more predictable and faster. PostScript (PS/PS3) can be useful for certain workflows, but it may expose different margins and cause slight alignment changes on pre‑printed forms. The best choice is the one that prints consistently in your environment — and ideally you standardize on one driver family for NAV reports.

How do I fix “right side cut off” or a left shift after switching to a PS driver?

First set the correct paper size and 100% / Actual size scaling in Printing Defaults. Then compare PCL vs PS with identical settings. If PS still clips or shifts, it’s likely a printable area difference. Use PCL for NAV direct printing, or add a small RDLC buffer (reduce body width / adjust margins) so the layout stays within the printable region.

Why does this happen more in Remote Desktop (RDP) / terminal server printing?

Remote Desktop creates redirected printer instances that can have different defaults (paper size, scaling, tray) from the local printer. Users may select different “redirected” versions, causing inconsistent margins. Standardize the driver on the server, set Printing Defaults, and avoid mixing driver families (PCL vs PS) for NAV reports unless the RDLC layout has a tolerance buffer.

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Joe B.

Fix Dynamics NAV reports misaligned — PCL vs PS, margins, scaling, and print driver settings

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Why NAV reports print misaligned with PCL vs PostScript drivers

How to isolate a NAV printing alignment issue (driver vs report)

Dynamics NAV reports misaligned — quick troubleshooting tips

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