Printing a Word document without comments can help you create a cleaner, more professional-looking document, especially when sharing finalized versions or submitting work. Comments are useful during editing and review processes, but they can clutter your document when you only need the main content on paper. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to print your Word document without including any comments or markup, ensuring your printed copy looks exactly as you want.
What You’ll Need
- Microsoft Word installed on your computer
- The document you wish to print open in Word
- Basic familiarity with navigating Word’s print options
Step-by-Step
- Open your Word document that contains comments you want to exclude from printing.
- Go to the Review tab on the Ribbon at the top of Word. This tab contains tools related to comments, tracking, and reviewing.
- In the Tracking group, click on the small arrow in the bottom right corner to open the Track Changes options.
- Ensure that the Show Markup dropdown menu is checked. Click on it and uncheck options such as Comments and Ink. You want to hide comments and other markup from view.
- Alternatively, you can choose Print Markup checkbox in the print dialog to control whether comments are included in the printed output. But for more control, proceed with the next steps.
- Click on the File tab to open the backstage view, then select Print.
- In the Print settings, look for the dropdown menu labeled Print All Pages or similar; click it to access more options.
- Select Print Markup to include comments or Print Markup to disable it. Make sure the checkbox for Print Markup is unchecked to exclude comments from the printout.
- Review the print preview on the right side to confirm that comments are no longer visible.
- Click the Print button to print your document without comments.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to uncheck Print Markup in the print dialog, resulting in comments still appearing on the printed page.
- Not hiding comments in the Review tab before printing, which can lead to confusion if comments are still visible in the document view.
- Printing the document in the wrong mode, such as ‘Document with Markup,’ instead of ‘Document.’
- Assuming all comments are removed when they are only hidden; hiding comments does not delete them, only hides them from view and print.
Tips
- Always preview your printout before printing the entire document to ensure comments are excluded.
- If you need to remove comments permanently, consider deleting them via the Review tab before printing.
- Use the ‘Final’ version of your document for printing if you want to keep comments for editing but exclude them from the printed copy.
- Save a copy of your document with comments hidden or deleted for future reference, to keep your original file intact.
Troubleshooting
If comments still appear when you print, try these steps:
- Ensure you have turned off Print Markup in the print dialog. Sometimes, this option is overlooked or incorrectly set.
- Go back to the Review tab and verify that comments are hidden in the document view. If comments are still visible, try deleting them manually or accepting/rejecting changes.
- Check if your version of Word has specific settings or updates that affect printing options. Update Word if necessary.
- Try printing a different document or create a test document with comments to see if the issue persists across files.
- If all else fails, save your document as a PDF with comments hidden, then print the PDF for a cleaner output.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I print only the main text without comments in Word?
Yes, by turning off markup and selecting the appropriate print options, you can print only the main content without comments or tracked changes.
Will deleting comments remove them permanently from my document?
Yes, deleting or rejecting comments permanently removes them from your document. Hiding comments only makes them invisible during editing and printing.
Is there a shortcut to hide comments quickly before printing?
While there isn’t a direct shortcut, you can quickly toggle comment visibility by going to the Review tab and unchecking the ‘Show Comments’ box or using the ‘Display for Review’ dropdown to select ‘No Markup.’
Can I print a document with comments visible in the document but not on paper?
Yes, you can view comments on your screen but disable ‘Print Markup’ in the print settings to exclude comments from the printed version.
What should I do if comments keep appearing despite turning off markup?
Ensure that you have hidden comments in the Review tab and unchecked ‘Print Markup’ in the print dialog. Sometimes, restarting Word or updating the software helps resolve persistent issues.
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