How To Print Email In Outlook : Selected Messages Only Method

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To print an email in Outlook, open the message and choose Print from the top toolbar or use Ctrl+P. This quick action works across most Outlook versions, but you might want more control over what prints and how it looks. Whether you need a physical copy for records or a PDF for sharing, Outlook offers several printing options to suit your needs.

Printing emails seems simple, but many users struggle with formatting issues or accidentally printing entire conversations. This guide covers everything from basic printing to advanced settings, so you can get perfect prints every time. We’ll walk through each step clearly, with screenshots in mind for easy following.

How To Print Email In Outlook

Before diving into specifics, let’s cover the standard method that works across Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365. This is the foundation you’ll use most often.

Step-By-Step Guide For Printing A Single Email

  1. Open Outlook and navigate to your inbox or the folder containing the email.
  2. Double-click the email you want to print to open it in its own window. This gives you full access to printing options.
  3. Look for the “File” tab in the top-left corner and click it. Alternatively, you can click the printer icon in the Quick Access Toolbar if it’s visible.
  4. Select “Print” from the left-hand menu. You’ll see a preview of your email on the right side.
  5. Choose your printer from the dropdown list. If you want to save as PDF, select “Microsoft Print to PDF” or similar option.
  6. Adjust settings like number of copies, page range, and layout using the options provided.
  7. Click the “Print” button to start printing.

That’s the basic process. But what if you need to print only part of an email or change the formatting? Let’s explore those options.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts For Faster Printing

Keyboard shortcuts save time when you print frequently. The most common shortcut is Ctrl+P, which opens the print dialog directly from any open email. This works in all modern Outlook versions.

Another useful shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+P, which opens the print dialog without previewing the email first. This is faster if you already know your settings.

For Mac users, the shortcut is Command+P instead. Remember these shortcuts to speed up your workflow.

Printing Multiple Emails At Once

Sometimes you need to print several emails together, like for a meeting or project documentation. Outlook lets you select multiple messages and print them in one go.

How To Select And Print Multiple Emails

  1. Go to your inbox or folder containing the emails.
  2. Hold down the Ctrl key (or Command on Mac) and click each email you want to print. For a consecutive range, click the first email, hold Shift, and click the last one.
  3. Right-click any selected email and choose “Print” from the context menu. Alternatively, go to File > Print while multiple emails are selected.
  4. Outlook will print each email on a separate page by default. You can adjust settings like print style in the dialog.

Note that printing multiple emails uses the default print style for each message. If you want consistent formatting, consider using the “Memo Style” option we’ll discuss later.

Printing An Entire Email Thread Or Conversation

Conversation view in Outlook groups related emails together. To print an entire thread, first expand the conversation by clicking the arrow next to it. Then select all messages in the thread using Ctrl+A while in the conversation view. Finally, right-click and choose “Print.”

Be careful though – printing a long thread can produce many pages. Consider printing only the most recent email if the thread is very long.

Customizing Print Settings For Better Results

Default print settings don’t always give you what you want. Outlook provides several customization options to control how your email looks on paper.

Choosing A Print Style

Outlook offers three main print styles: Memo Style, Table Style, and Card Style. Each serves a different purpose.

  • Memo Style – This is the default and most common style. It prints the email headers (From, To, Subject, Date) at the top, followed by the message body. Best for standard emails.
  • Table Style – Prints the email as a table with columns for sender, subject, date, and size. Useful for printing a list of emails, like an inbox view.
  • Card Style – Prints each email on a separate card-like layout. Good for contact information or short notes.

To change the print style, open the email, go to File > Print, and look for “Print Options” or “Page Setup” in the print dialog. From there, you can select a different style.

Adjusting Page Setup Options

Page setup lets you control margins, paper size, orientation, and headers/footers. Here’s how to access it:

  1. Open the email you want to print.
  2. Go to File > Print > Print Options (or Page Setup depending on your version).
  3. In the Page Setup dialog, you can:
    • Change paper size (Letter, A4, etc.)
    • Switch between portrait and landscape orientation
    • Adjust margins (narrow, normal, wide, or custom)
    • Add headers and footers with page numbers, dates, or custom text
  4. Click OK to save changes, then print as usual.

These settings apply to the current print job only. If you want permanent changes, you can set default print styles in Outlook’s options.

Printing Only Selected Text Or Attachments

Sometimes you don’t need the entire email – just a specific paragraph or an attachment. Here’s how to handle these cases.

Printing selected text: Highlight the text you want in the email body, then press Ctrl+P. In the print dialog, look for an option like “Print selection” or “Selection only.” Not all Outlook versions have this, so you may need to copy the text to a Word document and print from there.

Printing attachments: Attachments don’t print automatically with the email. To print an attachment, open it by double-clicking, then print from the application that opens it (like Word for .docx files or Adobe Reader for PDFs).

Printing Emails To PDF Instead Of Paper

Printing to PDF is useful for digital records, sharing, or saving space. Outlook makes this easy with built-in PDF printers.

Using Microsoft Print To PDF

Windows 10 and 11 include a virtual PDF printer. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Open the email and go to File > Print.
  2. From the printer dropdown, select “Microsoft Print to PDF.”
  3. Adjust any other settings as needed.
  4. Click “Print.” You’ll be prompted to choose a save location and filename.
  5. Click “Save” to create the PDF file.

This method preserves the email’s formatting, including fonts, colors, and layout. It’s ideal for archiving or sharing professionally.

Using Third-Party PDF Printers

If you don’t have Microsoft Print to PDF, you can use free tools like PDFCreator or CutePDF Writer. These install as virtual printers and work the same way – just select them from the printer list in Outlook’s print dialog.

Some PDF printers offer additional features like password protection or compression. Check their settings before printing.

Troubleshooting Common Printing Issues

Even with the right steps, printing can sometimes go wrong. Here are solutions to frequent problems.

Email Prints With Wrong Formatting

If your email looks different on paper than on screen, try these fixes:

  • Change the print style to “Memo Style” for a cleaner look.
  • Check page orientation – landscape might cut off text.
  • Reduce margins in Page Setup to fit more content.
  • Disable “Shrink to Fit” if it’s causing tiny text.

Printer Not Responding Or Not Found

When your printer doesn’t show up in Outlook’s print dialog:

  1. Make sure the printer is turned on and connected to your computer or network.
  2. Check Windows printer settings (Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners).
  3. Set your printer as default if it’s not.
  4. Restart Outlook and try again.
  5. If still not working, restart your computer.

Print Preview Shows Blank Pages

A blank preview usually means the email content isn’t being read properly. Try these steps:

  • Open the email in a separate window (double-click it).
  • Switch to HTML format if the email is in plain text (click “Format Text” > “HTML”).
  • Copy the email content into a new email and print that instead.

Printing Too Many Pages

Long emails or threads can waste paper. To reduce page count:

  • Print only the current message instead of the entire conversation.
  • Use “Print selection” if you only need part of the email.
  • Change to landscape orientation for wider content.
  • Reduce font size in Page Setup (though this affects readability).

Printing From Outlook On Mobile Devices

Outlook mobile apps (iOS and Android) also support printing, though options are more limited than the desktop version.

Printing From Outlook For IOS

  1. Open the email in the Outlook app.
  2. Tap the three-dot menu (More) in the top-right corner.
  3. Select “Print” from the menu.
  4. Adjust settings like number of copies and page range.
  5. Tap “Print” at the top-right. You can also save as PDF using the share icon.

Printing From Outlook For Android

  1. Open the email and tap the three-dot menu (More) in the top-right.
  2. Choose “Print” from the options.
  3. Select your printer from the list (requires Google Cloud Print or a compatible printer app).
  4. Adjust settings and tap the print icon.

Mobile printing often requires a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection to a printer. Some printers need their own app to work with phones.

Advanced Printing Tips And Tricks

Once you master the basics, these advanced tips can save even more time and improve results.

Creating A Print Template For Recurring Emails

If you regularly print emails with the same format (like daily reports), create a template:

  1. Open a typical email and set up your desired print style and page setup.
  2. Go to File > Print > Print Options.
  3. Click “Define Styles” and save your settings as a new style name.
  4. Next time, select that style from the print dialog instead of adjusting manually.

Printing Email Headers Only

For quick reference, you might want to print only the headers (From, To, Subject, Date) without the body. This isn’t directly supported, but you can:

  • Copy the headers from the email and paste into a Word document, then print.
  • Use the “Table Style” print style, which shows headers in a compact format.

Using VBA Macros For Batch Printing

Power users can automate printing with VBA macros. For example, this macro prints all unread emails in a folder:

Sub PrintUnreadEmails()
    Dim olApp As Outlook.Application
    Dim olNS As Outlook.Namespace
    Dim olFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
    Dim olItem As Object
    Set olApp = Outlook.Application
    Set olNS = olApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")
    Set olFolder = olNS.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
    For Each olItem In olFolder.Items
        If olItem.Class = olMail And olItem.UnRead Then
            olItem.PrintOut
        End If
    Next
End Sub

Use this cautiously – it prints without preview. Test on a few emails first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Print An Email With Attachments In Outlook?

Attachments don’t print automatically with the email. You need to open each attachment separately and print it from its native application. For example, double-click a PDF attachment to open it in Adobe Reader, then print from there.

Can I Print An Email Without The Header Information?

Yes, but it requires a workaround. Copy the email body text, paste it into a blank Word document or Notepad, and print from there. This removes all header details like From, To, and Subject.

Why Does My Printed Email Look Different From The Screen?

This usually happens due to formatting differences between screen and print. Try changing the print style to “Memo Style,” adjusting margins, or switching to landscape orientation. Also ensure your printer drivers are up to date.

How Do I Print A Calendar Item Or Meeting Request In Outlook?

Calendar items print differently than emails. Open the calendar item, go to File > Print, and choose a print style like “Daily Style” or “Weekly Style.” You can also print the entire calendar from the Calendar view.

Is There A Way To Print Multiple Emails As A Single Document?

Outlook doesn’t natively combine multiple emails into one document. However, you can copy each email’s content into a Word document, arrange them, and print from Word. Some third-party tools also offer this feature.

Final Thoughts On Printing Emails In Outlook

Printing emails in Outlook is straightforward once you know the options. Start with the basic Ctrl+P method, then explore customizations like print styles and page setup for better results. Remember to use PDF for digital copies and troubleshoot common issues with the tips above.

Whether you’re printing a single message or batch-processing multiple emails, Outlook gives you the flexibility to get exactly what you need. Practice these techniques, and you’ll become more efficient with your email management.

If you encounter any problems, revisit the troubleshooting section or check Microsoft’s support documentation. Happy printing!