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

Synchronizing Building Blocks for a Network

Building blocks can be a great asset when putting together documents, as they make inserting standardized information ...

Discover More

Deleting VBA Code in a Copied Worksheet

VBA makes it easy to copy a worksheet from the current workbook into a brand-new workbook. You may want to delete some ...

Discover More

Converting Imported Information to Numeric Values

If the information you import into Excel is treated as text by the program, you may want to convert it to numeric values. ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Printing Document Properties

Word maintains quite a bit of information about a document in a special collection of items called "properties." You can ...

Discover More

Making Banners in Word

Word can be used for printing a variety of document types. You may want to use the program to print a festive banner for ...

Discover More

Hiding Graphics

Do you need a printout where graphics can be turned on and off? This tip provides some concrete ways you can get just ...

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 seven more than 7?

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.