Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Printing without Track Changes Marks.

Printing without Track Changes Marks

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 10, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


Track Changes is a handy feature to use when editing a Word document. The marks let you know what edits have been made and are particularly useful if you have multiple editors working on the same document. You may, at times, want to print a document before the changes have been resolved and not have the Track Changes marks show on the printout.

You can accomplish this task by following these steps if you are using Word 2007:

  1. Press Ctrl+P. Word displays the Print dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  2. Figure 1. The Print dialog box in Word 2007.

  3. Change the Print What drop-down list to Document.
  4. Click OK.

The printout should not show your Track Changes marks. The marks are only printed if the Print What drop-down list (step 2) is set to Document Showing Markup.

If you are using Word 2010 or a later version, then the steps are different:

  1. Press Ctrl+P. Word displays the File tab of the ribbon with the print options visible.
  2. Click the drop-down list directly under the Settings label. (This drop-down list probably says "Print All Pages.")
  3. In the options that appear, you'll see a check mark next to Print Markup. Click the check mark. All the markup disappears from the example page displayed.
  4. Click Print.

The printout should not show your Track Changes marks. The marks are only printed if the check mark appears next to the Print Markup options in step 3.

It is important to understand that Word changes the value of this drop-down list (Word 2007) or check mark (Word 2010 and later versions), by default, depending on whether there are any tracked changes in your document or not. If there are not, then Document is the default setting for the drop-down (Word 2007) or the check mark is cleared (Word 2010 and later versions). If there are tracked changes (whether you have Track Changes currently on or not) then Document Showing Markup (Word 2007) or Print Markup (Word 2010 and later versions) is the default. This is why, if you have tracked changes and you want them not to show in the printout, you need to check the settings in the dialog box (Word 2007) or on the File tab of the ribbon (Word 2010 and later versions) instead of printing without checking.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9892) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Printing without Track Changes Marks.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Changing the Format of Existing Dates

There are a myriad of ways in which a date can be formatted--day first, month first, number of digits in the year, etc. ...

Discover More

Can't Select and Edit Graphics Elements

Adding graphics to your documents can make them livelier and easier to understand. What if you can't select and edit the ...

Discover More

Remembering a Custom Color

Word allows you to define a custom color when you are working with text or with other elements in your documents. The ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Printing More than One Copy

If you need to print more than one copy of your document, you need to become familiar with the printing options made ...

Discover More

Printing Documents without Markup

If you have a document with Track Changes turned on, you can accumulate quite a bit of "markup" in it. Here's how you can ...

Discover More

Printing Reversed Images

Ever need to print the mirror image of your document? This tip explains how to reverse your image so it can be used for ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two minus 0?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.