How To Print From Microsoft Word (With Tips)

While Microsoft Word may offer you tools to edit a document on your computer, the software also allows you to print any document. Understanding how to print a document in a way that protects formatting and other aesthetic preferences can help you create high-quality physical copies of your work. This can allow you to advance your personal or professional knowledge base by sharing, proofreading or comprehending Word documents. In this article, we describe how to print from Microsoft Word and offer tips to help you successfully print so that you can enhance your technical skills within the application.

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When to print from Microsoft Word

Printing from Microsoft Word can allow you to create a physical copy of a Word document. You may want to obtain a physical copy of a document if you'd like to distribute it in person, edit it using pen or pencil or avoid reading it on the screen. Some people may find it easier to proofread or comprehend documents by obtaining a physical copy and marking them as they read. Additionally, some positions may require you to distribute many physical copies of a document to encourage collaboration and careful reading.

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How to print from Microsoft Word

Here are five steps you can take to successfully print a Word document:

1. Preview document

Before you print a document, consider previewing each page to guarantee that it looks correct. To do this, select "File" at the top of the screen and then select "Print." You can also get to the preview menu by selecting "Command" and "P" on a Mac or "Control" and "P" on a PC.

Once the print menu comes up, you may see a preview for each page. To look at the next page, you can select the forward or backward arrows at the bottom of the menu. If the print preview is too small, you can use the zoom slider at the bottom of the menu to enlarge it. This can help you catch formatting, spacing or other aesthetic errors before printing.

2. Choose print options

If the print preview looks correct, you can then begin to choose your print options. On the same print menu, you can select which printer you'd like to use from the available options, the number of copies you'd like to print, color or black and white printing or whether you'd like to print on one or both sides. You can also edit the margin size or orientation of the document. Selecting any of these options may change the preview to reflect your preference. Before printing, make sure that the preview still looks correct after making any adjustments.

3. Select specific pages

Within the print preview menu, you can select specific pages you'd like to print. This can help if you'd like to print only some parts of a larger document. To do this, you can click the arrow next to "Print All Pages," which acts as the default action. To change this, select one of the other available options.

If you'd like to print only the page in the preview, you can select "Print Current Page," or if you'd like to select a consecutive page range, you can select "Custom Print" and enter the page range in the "Pages" box. Alternatively, if you'd like to print individual pages and a range of consecutive pages, you can enter individual page numbers and ranges in the "Pages" box separated by commas. For example, to print pages 1, 3, 4 and 5, you can enter "1, 3-5" in the box.

4. Print comments

Word can print all comments in a document if they appear on the screen. If the comments don't appear, though, you can select "Review" at the top of the screen and then select "Show Markup" or "Show Comments." If you would like to print a document without comments, you can unselect "Show Comments" or choose "No Markup."

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5. Click "Print"

Once you review the print preview and select any relevant options, you can print your document. You can do this by selecting the "Print" button at the bottom of the menu. If you'd like to cancel printing, you can select the "Cancel" option next to "Print." This can begin the printing process for your selected printer.

Tips for printing from Word

Here are some tips you can use to successfully print a document from Word:

Use Word for the web

If you're using the online version of Word rather than the desktop version, you can follow very similar steps to print. The major difference is that the application can save the document as a PDF before printing. To preview and print your PDF, you can select the "Click here to view the PDF of your document" option that may come up after selecting "Print." This can open a PDF viewing application, from which you can print. If you don't have a PDF viewing application, consider downloading one before printing.

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Check printer connection and ink levels

Before you print, consider checking the connection and ink levels of your printer to avoid beginning a print with insufficient resources. On the print menu, you may see a list of potential printers. You can select the one you want to use. While this menu may offer information about printer ink levels, you can also physically check your printer. It can often offer a warning or alert if any maintenance is necessary.

Troubleshoot

If your document doesn't print, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot a solution. Consider rechecking printer connection and ink levels. If there are no obvious issues, you can try options like printing a blank document or another document on your computer. If this doesn't work, you can also select a different printer or turn your printer off and back on to reestablish a connection.

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