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 and Exiting Word in a Macro.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 6, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
Robert needs a macro that will load a document, print it out, and then exit Word. He's figured out how to load the document and start to print it, but when he tells the macro to exit Word, he sees a message saying that if he quits, any printing will be deleted.
This message is displayed because the default method for printing in Word is to print in the background, which means that the command to shut down Word is executed while the printing is still going on in the background. The solution is to make sure that background printing is turned off in the print command:
ActiveDocument.PrintOut Background:=False
Since printing will be done in the "foreground," the next macro command will not be executed until the printout is complete. In this way, the printing is very much like printing from within Windows itself: right-click a document and choose Print from the Context menu, and Word is loaded, the document printed, and Word then shuts down.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10778) 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 and Exiting Word in a Macro.
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!
Print your document with lots of space between each line by triple spacing it! Here are some quick and easy steps for ...
Discover MoreOne way to use heading styles is to create a story outline. When it comes time to print the story, though, you may not ...
Discover MoreNeed to print on large pieces of paper? Word has a limit on the size of the paper it can use, but that might not be the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments