How to Print a Word Document (With or Without Comments): Windows, Mac and Phone
Last Updated:Quick answer: open the document in Word and press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac), or go to File > Print. Choose your printer, set the copies and pages, and click Print. To print without comments or tracked changes, open the first drop-down under Settings (it says Print All Pages) and uncheck Print Markup before you print.
Below: step-by-step instructions for Word on Windows, Mac, the web, iPhone/iPad and Android; what every print setting does; how to print with or without comments; how to print several Word documents at once; and fixes for the most common Word printing problems.
How to Print a Word Document on Windows
- Open the document in Word.
- Press Ctrl + P, or click File > Print. The print screen shows a preview on the right.
- Under Printer, choose your printer.
- Under Settings, choose which pages, one- or two-sided, collation, orientation, paper size, margins and pages per sheet.
- Set the number of Copies and click Print.
Microsoft's version of these steps is at Print a document in Word.
How to Print a Word Document on a Mac
- Open the document and press Cmd + P, or choose File > Print.
- Choose your printer and the number of copies.
- Click Show Details to see page range, paper size, orientation and the Microsoft Word options section (where markup settings live).
- Click Print.
If your printer isn't in the list, see how to add a printer to a Mac.
How to Print From Word on the Web (Microsoft 365 Online)
- Open the document at office.com or in OneDrive.
- Click File > Print > Print (or press Ctrl/Cmd + P).
- Word prepares a PDF of the document and opens your browser's print window. Choose the printer and print.
How to Print a Word Document From iPhone, iPad or Android
- Open the document in the Microsoft Word app.
- Tap the three-dot menu (or File icon on iPad).
- Tap Print, choose your printer, and print.
Your phone and printer need to be on the same Wi-Fi. For setup help, see how to print from your phone.
Every Word Print Setting, Explained
| Setting | What it does | When to change it |
|---|---|---|
| Print All Pages (drop-down) | All pages, the current page, a selection, or a custom range. Also holds Print Markup, Only Print Odd/Even Pages and document info. | Custom ranges like 1-3, 6; uncheck Print Markup for a clean copy |
| Pages | Box for a custom page range | Use section numbers like p2s3 if your doc restarts numbering by section |
| Print One Sided / Both Sides | Single-sided, automatic duplex, or manual duplex | Choose Manually Print on Both Sides if your printer can't duplex. More in our double-sided printing guide. |
| Collated | Prints complete sets (1-2-3, 1-2-3) instead of all page 1s, then all page 2s | Multiple copies of a multipage doc. See what collate means. |
| Orientation | Portrait or landscape | Wide tables. Better to set in Layout > Orientation so the document matches. |
| Paper size | Letter, Legal, A4, envelopes | Must match the paper in the tray. See paper sizes explained. |
| Margins | Page margins | Fix text cut off at the edges |
| Pages Per Sheet | Shrinks 2–16 pages onto one sheet; also Scale to Paper Size | Drafts and proofing; scale A4 documents to Letter |
| Printer Properties | Your printer's own driver settings | Quality, grayscale, paper type, borderless |
How to Print a Word Document Without Comments
If a document has comments or tracked changes, Word prints them in a markup area down the right side and shrinks the page to fit. To print a clean copy:
On Windows
- Go to File > Print.
- Click the first drop-down under Settings (Print All Pages).
- Uncheck Print Markup. The preview updates without the comment balloons.
- Click Print.
On a Mac
- Press Cmd + P and click Show Details.
- Open the drop-down that shows Layout or Copies & Pages and choose Microsoft Word.
- Uncheck Print Markup, then print.
Alternative: on the Review tab, change Display for Review to No Markup, then print. This shows the document as if all changes were accepted, without actually accepting them.
Print a Word document without comments
One checkbox controls whether comments and tracked changes print.
Settings
Print Selection
Print Current Page
Custom Print
☐ Print Markup ← untickOnly Print Odd Pages
Only Print Even Pages
Windows: File > Print, open the first drop-down under Settings and untick Print Markup.
Mac: Cmd + P > Show Details > choose Microsoft Word from the menu, then untick Print Markup.
Why it matters: with markup on, Word shrinks the page to fit a comments column.
Want comments? Leave it ticked, or choose List of Markup to print only the comments.
Simplified illustration of Word's print screen. Labels vary slightly by version.
Print comments but not tracked changes (or the reverse)
On the Review tab, open Show Markup and untick what you don't want (Insertions and Deletions, Formatting, or Comments). Then print with Print Markup checked. Word prints only the markup types still showing.
How to Print a Word Document With Comments
Leave Print Markup checked (it's on by default), and make sure Display for Review on the Review tab is set to All Markup. Comments print as balloons in the right margin. To print only a list of the comments and changes, open the Print All Pages drop-down and choose List of Markup under Document Info.
How to Print Multiple Word Documents at Once
- Close the documents in Word.
- In File Explorer, select the files (hold Ctrl and click each one).
- Right-click and choose Print. On Windows 11, choose Show more options > Print.
- Word opens each file and sends it to your default printer, one after another.
On a Mac, select the files in Finder and choose File > Print, or drag them onto your printer's icon in the Dock while the print queue is open. Windows only shows the Print option when 15 or fewer files are selected, so work in batches.
Printing Specific Things From Word
Print just the highlighted text
Select the text, press Ctrl + P, open the Print All Pages drop-down and choose Print Selection.
Print the current page
Click anywhere on the page, then choose Print Current Page in the same drop-down.
Print a booklet
Use Layout > Margins > Custom Margins > Multiple pages: Book fold, then print double-sided. Full walkthrough: how to print a booklet at home.
Print envelopes and labels
Use Mailings > Envelopes or Mailings > Labels. See printing on envelopes and printing labels at home.
Print a Word document as a PDF
Use File > Save As > PDF (or File > Export) for the cleanest result, or choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
Print a resume
Turn off markup, check the preview for a stray blank last page, and use a heavier paper. See our guide to resume paper.
Word Printing Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Page prints smaller with a gray area on the right | Comments or tracked changes printing | Uncheck Print Markup |
| Extra blank page at the end | Empty paragraph after a table or page break | Turn on ¶ (Ctrl + Shift + 8), delete the empty paragraphs, or set the last one's font size to 1 pt |
| Text cut off at the edges | Margins outside the printable area | Increase margins in Layout > Margins. See printer cutting off edges. |
| Wrong paper size error / "Load Letter" | Document set to A4, printer loaded with Letter | Layout > Size > Letter, or Scale to Paper Size: Letter |
| Background color or images don't print | Word option turned off | File > Options > Display > tick Print background colors and images |
| Word freezes or says "printer not available" | Driver or spooler problem | Restart the print spooler or fix a driver that's unavailable |
| Prints in color when you want black only | Colored text or headings | Printer Properties > Grayscale or Black ink only |
| Faded, streaky or missing text | Ink or printhead, not Word | Fix faded or streaky prints |
Print Smarter, Spend Less on Ink
Preview before printing, print drafts at 2 pages per sheet, use grayscale for anything that doesn't need color, and switch to double-sided for long documents. When you do run low, our find ink by printer directory lists remanufactured and compatible cartridges for your exact model, usually at a fraction of the original price. Want to know what you're spending now? Try the printer ink cost calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut to print in Word?
Ctrl + P on Windows, Cmd + P on Mac. Ctrl + F2 opens the print preview on Windows.
How do I print a Word document without the comments showing?
In File > Print, open the Print All Pages drop-down and uncheck Print Markup. On a Mac, it's in the Microsoft Word section of the print dialog.
Why does Word print my document smaller than normal?
Word shrinks the page to make room for the comments and tracked-changes column. Turn off Print Markup and it prints full size.
How do I print only certain pages in Word?
Type the pages in the Pages box, separated by commas and hyphens, e.g. 1, 3, 5-7.
Can I print a Word document from my phone?
Yes. In the Word app, tap the three-dot menu, then Print, and choose a printer on the same Wi-Fi network.
How do I print a Word document in black and white?
Click Printer Properties in the print screen and choose Grayscale, Black and white, or Black ink only. The option name depends on your printer brand.
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