How to Print a Document

This wikiHow teaches you how to print a document on a Windows or Mac computer. To do so, you must have a printer set up and connected to your computer. Make sure that your printer is connected and turned on. If your printer connects over...
Method 1 of 2:

On Windows

  1. How to Print a Document Picture 1How to Print a Document Picture 1
    Make sure that your printer is connected and turned on. If your printer connects over Wi-Fi, this will mean making sure that you're on the same Internet network as your printer; otherwise, you'll need to plug your printer's USB cable into your computer.
    1. Check your printer's manual to confirm how to set it up if you haven't already done so.
  2. How to Print a Document Picture 2How to Print a Document Picture 2
    Open Start
    How to Print a Document Picture 3How to Print a Document Picture 3
    . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  3. How to Print a Document Picture 4How to Print a Document Picture 4
    Open File Explorer
    How to Print a Document Picture 5How to Print a Document Picture 5
    . Click the folder-shaped icon in the bottom-left side of the Start window.
  4. How to Print a Document Picture 6How to Print a Document Picture 6
    Go to the document that you want to print. Click the folder that contains the document on the left side of the File Explorer window. Common documents that you can print include the following:
    1. Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents
    2. PDF files
    3. Photos
  5. How to Print a Document Picture 7How to Print a Document Picture 7
    Select the document. Click the document that you want to print.
  6. How to Print a Document Picture 8How to Print a Document Picture 8
    Click the Share tab. It's in the upper-left corner of the window. Doing so prompts a toolbar to appear below the Share section.
  7. How to Print a Document Picture 9How to Print a Document Picture 9
    Click Print. You'll find this in the "Send" section of the toolbar. The Print window will open.
    1. If Print is greyed out, your selected document can't be printed. You'll see this for things like Notepad Next documents.
  8. How to Print a Document Picture 10How to Print a Document Picture 10
    Select your printer. Click the "Printer" drop-down box, then click your printer's name.
  9. How to Print a Document Picture 11How to Print a Document Picture 11
    Select a number of copies. In the "Copies" box, type in the number of copies of the document that you'd like to print.
    1. This is different than the number of pages.
  10. How to Print a Document Picture 12How to Print a Document Picture 12
    Edit other print settings if need be. The menu for each document type will vary, but you'll have the following options for most documents:
    1. Orientation - Determine whether your document is oriented vertically or horizontally.
    2. Color - Decide between printing in black and white or including color printing. You must have colored ink in your printer to print in color.
    3. Number of sides - Choose single-sided printing to print one sheet of paper per page, or choose double-sided printing to use both sides of a piece of paper.
  11. How to Print a Document Picture 13How to Print a Document Picture 13
    Click Print. It's either at the bottom of the window or at the top of the window. Your document will begin printing.
Method 2 of 2:

On Mac

  1. How to Print a Document Picture 14How to Print a Document Picture 14
    Make sure that your printer is connected and turned on. If your printer connects over Wi-Fi, this will mean making sure that you're on the same Internet network as your printer; otherwise, you'll need to plug your printer's USB cable into your computer.
  2. How to Print a Document Picture 15How to Print a Document Picture 15
    Open Finder. Click the blue, face-like app in your Mac's Dock. A Finder window will open.
  3. How to Print a Document Picture 16How to Print a Document Picture 16
    Go to your document. Click the document's folder on the left side of the Finder window, then look for your document.
  4. How to Print a Document Picture 17How to Print a Document Picture 17
    Select the document. Click the document that you want to print.
  5. How to Print a Document Picture 18How to Print a Document Picture 18
    Click File. This menu item is in the upper-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  6. How to Print a Document Picture 19How to Print a Document Picture 19
    Click Print…. It's at the bottom of the File drop-down menu. This will open the Print window.
  7. How to Print a Document Picture 20How to Print a Document Picture 20
    Select your printer. Click the "Printer" drop-down box, then click your printer's name in the drop-down menu.
  8. How to Print a Document Picture 21How to Print a Document Picture 21
    Select a number of copies. Select the number in the "Copies" field, then enter the number of copies that you would like to make.
  9. How to Print a Document Picture 22How to Print a Document Picture 22
    Edit other printer settings if needed. You'll need to click Show Details first if you want to change anything other than the "Pages" settings:[1]
    1. Pages - Select pages to print. If you leave "All" selected, your entire document will print.
    2. Paper size - Use this option to scale your printer's margins up or down for different paper sizes.
    3. Orientation - Determine whether your document is oriented vertically or horizontally.
    4. Number of sides - Choose single-sided printing to print one sheet of paper per page, or choose double-sided printing to use both sides of a piece of paper.
  10. How to Print a Document Picture 23How to Print a Document Picture 23
    Click Print. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will prompt your printer to begin printing your document.
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