Working with Multiple Printers

You already know that Windows supports multiple printers. Using Word with multiple printers can be a bother, however, since you must display the printing options, change the printer, and then print the document. There is a way that you can have one-click printing of your documents on a designated printer. To do this, simply record a macro that changes the printer and then prints the document. The following is an example of a macro that will accomplish the task:

Sub GoodPrinter()
    Dim sCurrentPrinter As String

    sCurrentPrinter = ActivePrinter
    ActivePrinter = "HP LaserJet"
    Application.PrintOut Range:=wdPrintAllDocument, _
      Item:=wdPrintDocumentContent, Copies:=1
    ActivePrinter = sCurrentPrinter
End Sub

The one thing to note with this macro is the line that sets the ActivePrintere. Change the line so it reflects, exactly, the name of the printer you want to use for your output. In this example, it is set to a printer named "HP LaserJet".

It should be noted that this macro was not actually recorded; it was written from scratch. The reason is so that the name of the printer in use could be stored in the sCurrentPrinter variable. When the printing is completed, the printer can then be set back to whatever printer it was before your macro changed it.

The trick is to create a macro for each of the printers you use. You can then put each of the macros on the Quick Access Toolbar so that each printer has its own print button. When you then click on the button, the appropriate macro is run and you get output on the desired printer.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8560) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Working with Multiple Printers.