To print a document in desktop Word for Windows, open File > Print, choose your printer, review the preview and settings, then select Print. Check the page range and number of copies before sending the job. On a Mac, use File > Print; Word for the web prepares a PDF for printing.
Print from Word for Windows
- Open the document. Save recent edits if you want the printed copy to match the latest version.
- Select File > Print. Word shows the preview beside its print controls. You can also press Ctrl+P.
- Choose the printer under Printer. Read its name carefully if your computer lists an office printer, a home printer, and a PDF option.
- Set Copies and the pages to print. Print All Pages is the default. To print only the previewed page, choose Print Current Page. For other pages, choose Custom Print and enter numbers in Pages. For example, 2, 4-6 requests page 2 plus pages 4 through 6.
- Review the preview and other settings. Use its arrows to inspect each page and its zoom control if text is small. Check paper size, orientation, and whether single- or double-sided printing is available for the selected printer.
- Select Print. Word sends the job to the chosen printer. Check the output before ordering more copies.
For a seven-page report, preview the first and last pages, then decide whether you need the whole file or only a range. If you need pages 2 and 4–6, enter 2, 4-6 rather than printing all seven pages. Printer choices such as duplex and color vary by device; Word cannot offer a feature the selected printer or its driver does not support.
To save paper, you can also print back to back in Word, even on a printer without automatic duplex.
Print from Word for Mac
Open the file, choose File > Print, and select the printer. Check the preview, Copies, and Pages before selecting Print. For a consecutive range, choose From and enter the first and last pages. For separate pages or mixed ranges, use Page Range and enter values such as 2, 4-6. Microsoft’s Mac print instructions describe those choices. Printer-specific options, including two-sided printing, may appear under the print dialog’s menus and depend on the printer.
Print from Word for the web
In the browser version, select File > Print. Word for the web generates a PDF copy of the document. Open or continue to that PDF’s print dialog, choose a printer, and review its page range and copies there. If the print dialog looks different from desktop Word, you may be looking at the browser or PDF viewer’s controls; that is expected.
Choose color, black and white, or a background
The basic print path sends the document using the selected printer’s settings. If a colored chart must remain in color, see our Word color-printing guide, including the separate setting for a colored page background. To print without color, use our black-and-white printing steps. Printer Properties or the print dialog may use different labels for Color, Grayscale, and Black & White.
If the printout is wrong or nothing prints
- Wrong pages: Return to File > Print and check whether Print All Pages, Print Current Page, or Custom Print is selected. Check the page range before trying again.
- Wrong printer: Read the Printer field. A PDF or virtual printer saves output instead of sending paper to a physical device.
- Layout changes: Inspect the preview before printing. Check orientation, paper size, margins, and whether your selected printer has different defaults.
- No paper comes out: Confirm the printer is powered on, connected, has paper, and has no job error. A missing device is a printer or system connection issue rather than a Word page-setting issue.
- Comments or tracked edits appear: Check the print and markup choices before sharing a clean copy; hiding marks in the editor alone may not match the output you intend.
Microsoft’s current instructions: print a document in Word for Windows and the web and print a document in Word for Mac.
If the edges of the page are cut off or the printout comes out shrunk, follow our guide to printing a full page in Word without cutting it off.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com