Introduction

Once you've created your document, you may want to print it to view and share your work offline . It's easy to preview and print a document in Word using the Print pane.

Optional: Download our practice document .

To access the Print pane:

1. Select the File tab. Backstage view will appear.

   
   

   Selecting the File tab
2. Select Print . The Print pane will appear.

   
   

   Clicking Print

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using the Print pane.

Single and Double-Sided Printing

Choose whether to print on one side or both sides of the paper.

Print Range/Document Info

Here, you can choose to print the entire document , just the current page , or custom print to print specific pages.

Printer

You may need to select the printer you want to use if your computer is connected to multiple printers .

Print

When you are ready to print your document, click the Print button.

Pages Per Sheet

Word allows you to print more than one page on a single sheet.

While condensing pages onto one sheet can sometimes be helpful, note that the text will become more difficult to read as more pages are selected.

Copies

Here, you can choose how many copies of the document you want to print.

If you're planning to print multiple copies, it's a good idea to print a test copy first.

Page Selection

You can click the arrows to view a different page in Print Preview.

Zoom Control/Zoom to Page

You can click the Zoom to Page button on the right to zoom in and out of the Preview pane.

Click, hold, and drag the slider to use the Zoom contro l. The number to the left of the slider bar reflects the zoom percentage .

Preview Pane

Here, you can see a preview of how your document will look when printed.

Margins

Here, you can adjust the page margins , which can help your information fit more comfortably on the page.

Paper Size

If your printer uses different paper sizes, you can choose the paper size you want to use.

Orientation

Here, you can choose Portrait or Landscape orientation.

Collation Settings

If you are printing multiple copies, you can choose whether you want the copies collated or uncollated .

You can also access the Print pane by pressing Ctrl+P on your keyboard.

To print a document:

1. Navigate to the Print pane and select the desired printer .
2. Enter the number of copies you want to print.
3. Select any additional settings if needed.
4. Click Print .

   
   

   Printing a document

Custom printing

Sometimes you may find it unnecessary to print your entire document, in which case custom printing may be more suited for your needs. Whether you're printing several individual pages or a range of pages , Word allows you to specify exactly which pages you'd like to print.

To custom print a document:

If you'd like to print individual pages or page ranges, you'll need to separate each entry with a comma (1, 3, 5-7, or 10-14 for example).

1. Navigate to the Print pane.
2. In the Pages: field, enter the pages you want to print.

   
   

   Entering pages to print
3. Click Print .

   
   

   Clicking print

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use our practice document .
2. Preview the document in the Print pane.
3. Print one copy of the document.
4. Try adjusting the print settings so the document prints on two sides.
5. Try custom printing a selection of pages in the document. If you're using our example, try printing only page two .