How to Print Emails from Outlook: A Step-by-Step Guide

In the digital age, we’re often inundated with emails, and sometimes handling them electronically isn’t enough. We might find ourselves in need of a hard copy, whether it’s for a meeting, legal documentation, or simply for record-keeping. Microsoft Outlook, a part of the Microsoft Office suite, is a widely used email client that offers a straightforward process for printing email messages. We understand the importance of having physical copies for various reasons, and thankfully, printing emails from Outlook is a relatively simple task for users at any skill level.

When we decide to print emails from Outlook, we’re provided with a range of options to tailor the printout to our specific needs. Whether we’re using the Outlook desktop client, the web version, or even Outlook mobile app, each platform offers a print function. It involves selecting the email we wish to print, and then navigating to the print settings where we can define parameters such as page orientation, margins, and whether to include any attached files. It’s helpful for us to know that we can also select specific pages or sections of an email message to print, conserving ink and paper and keeping our printed documents relevant and concise.

Preparing to Print

Before printing an email in Outlook, ensure you’re logged into your account and have selected the exact message or messages you intend to print. Familiarizing oneself with the print preview and adjustable settings helps to avoid paper wastage and ensures that the printout meets specific requirements.

Accessing Outlook

First, we need to access our Outlook. For Outlook 2019, 2013, 2016, 2021, or Outlook for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac, we’ll open the desktop app. If we’re using Outlook.com, we’ll navigate to the website and sign in with our Microsoft account.

Selecting the Email to Print

After accessing Outlook, we locate the folder where the email is stored, be it the inbox or a specific Outlook folder. We then select the email message or, if needed, multiple messages using Ctrl or ⌘ while clicking. For Outlook.com, it’s similar: click on the email to highlight it.

Print Preview and Settings

Once we’ve selected the email, the next step is to examine it through print preview. This feature allows us to adjust settings such as number of copies, orientation, layout, and to specify pages—if only printing a specific page or date range from a calendar view, for example. On Outlook for desktop, we navigate to File > Print to access these settings, while on Outlook.com, we look for the print option in the email’s three-dot menu.

Printing Techniques

Before discussing specific strategies, it’s essential to understand that the process of printing an email from Microsoft Outlook relies on accessing the right tools within the application, choosing preferences in print options, and utilizing quick print functionalities for efficiency. We’ll examine both the traditional and faster methods ensuring we cover the vital steps to print your Outlook emails effectively.

Using Print Options

When we open an email in Microsoft Outlook, we navigate to the “File” tab and select “Print”. This exposes the “Print Options” dialog box, where various configurations can be selected. It’s here that we choose our Print Style and specify other preferences like which Page Range to print. Our computer’s Default Printer is usually pre-selected, but we can change it if necessary.

Quick Print Methods

For a speedier approach, we use the “Quick Print” feature or keyboard shortcuts. “Quick Print” sends the email directly to the printer without additional dialog boxes, whereas pressing Ctrl+P opens the print preview and settings window instantly. We can add the “Quick Print” option to our Quick Access Toolbar to simplify the process further—this way, it’s a simple one-click action to print emails.

Advanced Printing Features

When dealing with emails in Microsoft Outlook, you have access to a variety of advanced printing features that allow for enhanced control over how your emails and attachments are printed. Whether you’re using the Outlook Web version through your browser or the desktop application, these tools enable you to present your emails professionally and efficiently.

Printing Attachments

We can swiftly print attached files without opening them separately in their native applications. This is particularly useful when working with PDFs or images. In the desktop version, simply right-click the attachment and select ‘Quick Print’. For the web version through your browser, you may need to download the attachment first, then choose ‘Print to PDF’ option if available or print as is from the downloaded file.

Customizing Print Layouts

We’re not limited to the default print layout when we’re utilizing Outlook. Through the ‘Print Menu,’ it’s possible to select ‘Print Options,’ and then ‘Print Style’ to navigate a range of formats. The ‘Memo Style’ is commonly used, but for something that looks like an organized report, ‘Table Style’ might be more appropriate. If these don’t suit our requirements, we possess the capacity to tailor new print styles or adjust settings within the existing ones.

Printing from Different Devices and Troubleshooting

In this section, we’ll walk through the steps for printing emails from Outlook on various devices and tackle some common printing issues you might face. Whether you’re using a mobile app or browser, each device has its unique process.

Mobile and Web Printing

We understand the need for printing emails directly from your mobile device. On both Android and iPhone, the Outlook app doesn’t directly support printing. Instead, you will need to share the email with a mobile app that can print. Here’s a quick rundown:

Outlook Web on a Browser
Printing from Outlook.com or the Outlook Web is straightforward. Access the email you want to print, click the three-dot menu, and select “Print.” This will open a print preview where you can adjust settings and send the document to your printer.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

It’s not uncommon to run into issues when trying to print emails. If Outlook isn’t printing correctly, we have a few steps to troubleshoot:

These tips should cover the majority of printing problems. Our goal is to ensure that whether you’re printing a single email, multiple emails, or extracts from your address book, you are equipped to do so efficiently.