How to Print Outlook Emails: A Comprehensive Guide

Printing emails from Outlook is a fundamental task for many users, whether for record-keeping, sharing information offline, or simply having a physical copy. Microsoft Outlook offers several straightforward methods to print your emails and attachments, adapting to different versions of the application, including the new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Outlook.com. This guide will walk you through the steps for each version, ensuring you can efficiently print exactly what you need.

Printing Emails in New Outlook

If you are using the latest version of Outlook for Windows, often referred to as “New Outlook,” the process for printing emails and attachments is designed to be intuitive. Here’s how to do it:

Print an Attachment in New Outlook

Sometimes, you only need a hard copy of the attachment without printing the entire email message. New Outlook allows you to print attachments directly. If Outlook can preview the attachment type, you can print directly from the preview. For file types that are not previewable, you’ll need to save them first.

1. Open the Email: Begin by selecting and opening the email that contains the attachment you wish to print.

2. Access Attachment Options: Locate the attachment in the email. Click on the attachment dropdown icon, which usually appears next to the attachment name. This will reveal a menu with options for the attachment.

3. Choose Print Method: You will typically see two primary options:

   • Preview: Selecting “Preview” will open the attachment in a preview window within Outlook. From this preview screen, look for the Print icon or option, usually located in the toolbar. Click Print and follow the on-screen prompts to send the attachment to your printer.
   • Open: If you choose “Open,” the attachment will open in its default associated program (e.g., Word for .doc files, Adobe Reader for .pdf files). Once the file is open in the program, use the program’s print function, usually found under File > Print or by pressing Ctrl + P. Follow the program’s printing instructions.

Print an Email in New Outlook

To print the entire email message, including the email body, headers, and potentially attachments (depending on your print settings), follow these simple steps:

1. Select the Email: Choose the email you want to print from your inbox or any other folder. You can select it by clicking on it once.

2. Print Option: Once the email is selected, you can initiate the print command in a couple of ways:

   • Right-Click: Right-click on the selected email. In the context menu that appears, you should find a Print option. Click on “Print.”
   • Keyboard Shortcut: Alternatively, with the email selected or opened, press Ctrl + P on your keyboard. This shortcut will directly open the print dialog box.

3. Print Dialog: After selecting print, a print dialog box will appear. Here, you can choose your printer, set the number of copies, and configure other print settings as needed. Once you are satisfied with your settings, click Print to start printing your email.

Printing Emails in Classic Outlook

For users still utilizing the classic version of Outlook, the printing process is slightly different but equally efficient.

Print Just an Attachment in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook provides a quick way to print attachments directly, without needing to open the email itself.

1. Select the Email: Choose the email containing the attachment you want to print. You can do this from your inbox or reading pane.

2. Quick Print: Hover your mouse cursor over the attachment within the email preview. You will see an attachment dropdown arrow appear. Click on this dropdown and select Quick Print.

   The attachment will be immediately sent to your default printer without any further prompts or previews.

Note: For printers other than your default, or for attachments that require opening before printing, double-click the attachment to open it and then use the Print option within the application, or Ctrl + P.

Print an Email and its Attachment with Quick Print in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook also offers the convenience of printing an email and all its attachments together. To enable this feature, you need to activate the “Print attached files” option once.

1. Select the Email: In your email list, select the message you wish to print, including its attachments.

2. Access Print Options: Go to File > Print. This will open the print settings for Outlook.

3. Enable Attachment Printing: In the Print dialog box, look for and select Print Options. This will open a further set of print settings.

4. Check “Print attached files”: In the Print Options dialog, find and check the box next to Print attached files.

   By enabling this option, Outlook will remember your preference and will continue to print attachments with their respective emails every time you print an email, until you manually turn this option off.

Important Note: Quick Print function always uses the default printer for attachments. To print attachments on a different printer, you must open the attachment and print from within its native application.

Printing Emails in Outlook on the Web and Outlook.com

For users accessing Outlook through a web browser, whether it’s Outlook on the web for business or personal Outlook.com, the printing process is also straightforward and similar to the desktop applications.

Print an Attachment in Outlook on the Web or Outlook.com

To print only an attachment from Outlook on the web or Outlook.com, follow these steps:

1. Open the Email: Open the email that contains the attachment you intend to print.
2. Attachment Dropdown: Locate the attachment and click on the attachment dropdown arrow next to it.
3. Choose Print Method: You will be presented with options similar to New Outlook:
   • Preview: If available, selecting “Preview” will open the attachment in a web-based previewer. From there, you should find a Print icon or option within the preview interface. Click it and follow the instructions to print.
   • Download: If preview is not available or preferred, choose Download. This will download the attachment to your computer. Once downloaded, open the file using its associated program (like Adobe Reader for PDFs) and use the program’s print function (File > Print or Ctrl + P) to print the attachment.

Print an Email in Outlook on the Web or Outlook.com

Printing an entire email from Outlook on the web or Outlook.com is simple:

1. Select the Email: Open the email you wish to print.

2. Print Option: Look for the print icon, which is typically located at the top right of the email window, often represented by a printer icon. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P.

3. Web Browser Print Dialog: Selecting the print option will open your web browser’s print dialog box. Here, you can adjust settings such as printer selection, pages to print, and layout. Configure these settings as needed and click Print to print your Outlook email.

By following these detailed steps, you should be able to print emails and attachments effectively from any version of Outlook you are using. Whether you need a hard copy of an important email or just an attachment, Outlook provides the tools to get the job done.