To find the total area available for printing, we need to subtract the area of the margins from the total area of the pages.

The total area of the pages is given by the length multiplied by the width, which is 20 cm * 14 cm = 280 cm^2.

The area of the margins along the short sides is 2.5 cm * 2 = 5 cm. The area of the margins along the long sides is 2 cm * 2 = 4 cm.

Therefore, the total area of the margins is 5 cm + 4 cm = 9 cm.

To find the total area available for printing, we subtract the area of the margins from the total area of the pages: 280 cm^2 - 9 cm^2 = 271 cm^2.

Therefore, the total area available for printing is 271 cm^2.