Printing Emails Like a Pro: A Deep Dive into Outlook’s Printing Capabilities

Printing emails in Outlook, a seemingly simple task, often hides a wealth of options that can dramatically improve the final output and your overall efficiency. The core process boils down to selecting your desired email, navigating to the “File” tab, choosing “Print,” and configuring your print settings before hitting that final “Print” button. However, mastering the nuances within these steps, from selecting the right printer to customizing the print style, separates the novices from the Outlook printing pros.

The Core Method: Printing an Email in Outlook

Let’s break down the fundamental steps, because even the basics deserve a closer look:

1. Open the Email: Double-click on the email you wish to print. This opens the email in its own window, giving you a clear view of its content. This is crucial, as sometimes the preview pane can truncate the message.

2. Access the Print Menu: Navigate to the “File” tab in the top-left corner of the Outlook window. From the dropdown menu, select “Print.” Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on Mac) to directly access the print dialog.

3. Select Your Printer: In the Print dialog box, choose the desired printer from the dropdown menu under the “Select Printer” section. Ensure your printer is connected and online. Consider saving a digital copy as a PDF by selecting “Microsoft Print to PDF,” which is useful for archiving or sharing.

4. Configure Print Settings: This is where the magic happens. Pay close attention to the following:

   • Copies: Specify the number of copies you need. Seems obvious, but double-check before you unleash a torrent of unwanted duplicates.
   • Page Range: Choose to print “All” pages, a “Current Page,” or specify a custom range (e.g., 1-3, 5). This is invaluable when dealing with lengthy email threads.
   • Print Options: The available options vary depending on your printer, but common settings include:
     • Collate: Choose whether to collate multiple copies.
     • Duplex Printing: Enables double-sided printing to save paper.
     • Orientation: Select between portrait and landscape.
     • Color: Choose color or grayscale printing.
   • Print Style: Outlook offers several print styles, and choosing the right one dramatically affects the appearance of your printout:
     • Table Style: Prints the email in a clean, tabular format. This is often the most readable option.
     • Memo Style: Prints the email with headers and footers, including the sender, recipient, subject, and date. This is the default option.
     • Print attached files: By checking this box, you can include the attached files together with the email.

5. Preview (Optional): Before committing to printing, click the “Print Preview” button (if available) to see how the email will look on paper. This allows you to catch any formatting issues or make adjustments to the print settings.

6. Print!: Once you are satisfied with your settings, click the “Print” button. Your email will now be sent to the selected printer.

Mastering Advanced Printing Techniques

Beyond the basics, several advanced techniques can elevate your Outlook printing game.

Printing Multiple Emails at Once

While Outlook doesn’t have a direct “print all selected emails” button, you can achieve this by selecting multiple emails (using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click) and then dragging them directly onto your printer icon. This will queue each email for printing using your default print settings.

Customizing Print Styles for Specific Needs

The default print styles are often sufficient, but for presentations, legal documentation, or personal archiving, customization is key. Explore third-party add-ins or utilities that allow you to modify font sizes, margins, and other formatting elements for a truly tailored printout.

Printing Email Headers Only

Sometimes, you only need the header information of an email for reference. While Outlook doesn’t offer a built-in option for this, you can copy the header information and paste it into a separate document for printing.

Dealing with Large Email Threads

Printing lengthy email threads can be a nightmare. To make the process more manageable, consider:

• Selective Printing: Only print the relevant emails within the thread.
• Condensing the Thread: Summarize the key points of the thread into a separate document and print that instead.
• Saving as PDF: Save the entire thread as a PDF and then selectively print pages from the PDF.

FAQs: Your Burning Outlook Printing Questions Answered

Here are some frequently asked questions designed to address common Outlook printing challenges:

1. How do I print an email without the header information?

Unfortunately, Outlook doesn’t offer a direct option to exclude header information completely when using the default print styles. However, you can copy the body of the email and paste it into a Word document, then print from Word, giving you greater control over formatting.

2. Can I print attachments along with the email?

Yes! In the Print dialog box, ensure the “Print attached files” option is checked (if available). This will include any attached documents, images, or other files in the print job.

3. Why is my email printing in grayscale when I want it in color?

First, ensure your printer is set to print in color within its own settings. Then, within the Outlook Print dialog box, verify that the “Color” option is selected (if available).

4. How do I print only specific pages of an email thread?

In the Print dialog box, under “Page Range,” select “Pages” and then enter the specific page numbers you want to print, separated by commas (e.g., 1, 3, 5) or a range (e.g., 1-3).

5. My printed email is cutting off text at the edges. How can I fix this?

This often indicates a margin issue. Try adjusting the margins in the Print Setup dialog (accessible through the Print dialog). Alternatively, try printing to PDF first, then adjusting the PDF margins before printing from the PDF viewer.

6. How do I change the font size used when printing emails?

The font size is largely determined by the print style and the original formatting of the email. While Outlook doesn’t offer a global setting for print font size, you can copy the email content into Word and adjust the font settings there before printing.

7. Is there a way to print emails in draft mode without sending them?

Yes, simply open the email in draft mode and follow the standard printing steps. Outlook will print the email as it currently exists in draft form.

8. How do I print a calendar entry from Outlook?

Open the calendar entry you wish to print. Go to File > Print. In the Print dialog, choose your printer and the desired print settings (e.g., Daily, Weekly, Monthly style). Click Print.

9. Can I print emails directly from the Outlook mobile app?

Yes, the Outlook mobile app allows printing via AirPrint (on iOS) or cloud print services (on Android). Look for the “Print” option in the email’s menu (usually accessed via the three dots).

10. Why is my printer not listed in the Outlook print dialog?

Ensure your printer is properly installed and connected to your computer. Restart both your computer and the printer. If the problem persists, try reinstalling the printer driver. 

11. How can I print an email with all its embedded images clearly?

Use the "Memo Style" print option. It is designed to include embedded images. If the images still appear blurry, it might be due to low-resolution images in the original email. 

12. Is it possible to print multiple emails to one PDF file?

Yes, you can select multiple emails and then choose "Microsoft Print to PDF" as the printer. This should combine the emails into one PDF document. However, this feature may vary based on the Outlook version being used.