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: Setting Up Your Printer.

Setting Up Your Printer

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 2, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


You can change the settings Word uses when printing through your printer. How you make the changes depends on the version of Word you are using. If you are using Word 2010 or a later version of the program, follow these steps:

  1. Display the File tab of the ribbon.
  2. Click Print at the left side of the dialog box. Word displays the printing options at the right side of the dialog box. (See Figure 1.) (You can also display these options by simply pressing Ctrl+P.)
  3. Figure 1. The printing options on the File tab of the ribbon.

  4. Using the Printer drop-down list, select the printer you want to use. (It is common to have more than one printer available if you are working in a networked environment.)
  5. Click on the Printer Properties button. Word displays the Properties dialog box for the printer you selected in step 3. The exact appearance of the dialog box, and the controls it contains, depends on the printer driver you have installed for your printer.
  6. Using the tabs and other controls in the dialog box, specify the printer settings you want to use.
  7. Click on OK to close the Properties dialog box.
  8. Click the Print button to print your document.

If you are using Word 2007 the steps are different:

  1. Click the Office button and then click Print. Word displays the Print dialog box. (You can also display the dialog box by simply pressing Ctrl+P.)
  2. Using the Name drop-down list, select the printer you want to use. (It is common to have more than one printer available if you are working in a networked environment.)
  3. Click on the Properties button. Word displays the Properties dialog box for the printer you selected in step 2. The exact appearance of the dialog box, and the controls it contains, depends on the printer driver you have installed for your printer.
  4. Using the tabs and other controls in the dialog box, specify the printer settings you want to use.
  5. Click on OK to close the Properties dialog box.
  6. Click on OK from the Print dialog box. Your document will be printed.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11695) 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: Setting Up Your Printer.

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

Converting Codes to Characters

Character codes are the numeric values used, by a computer, to signify various alphanumeric characters. You can use the ...

Discover More

Removing All Formatting

Getting rid of formatting from a cell or group of cells can be done using several different techniques. This tip ...

Discover More

Workbooks Opening as Read-Only

If Excel thinks a workbook should not be changed, there is a good chance it will be opened as read-only. This tip looks ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Controlling Where a Full-page Border is Printed

When you add full-page borders to your document, you may be bothered to find out that one or more sides of the border ...

Discover More

Reversing Print Order

When you print a document, does it come out of the printer in the order you need? Here's how to reverse the print order ...

Discover More

Specifying a Paper Tray in a Macro

You may want to use a macro to process and then print your document. Part of that printing may involve specifying which ...

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 4 - 3?

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.