Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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 Hidden Text.

Printing Hidden Text

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 12, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

In other issues of WordTips you learn how you can control the display of hidden text on the screen. Word allows you to control the printing of hidden text completely independent from its display. To make sure hidden text is printed, follow these steps:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button, then click Word Options. In Word 2010 and later versions display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
Make sure the Display option is selected at the left of the dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Display option of the Word Options dialog box.

In the Printing Options area, click the Print Hidden Text check box. A check mark in the check box indicates hidden text will print.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10510) 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: Printing Hidden Text.

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. Learn more about Allen...

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