How Do You Print an Email? A Comprehensive Guide

In today’s digital age, while most of our communication is online, there are still times when you need a hard copy of an email. Whether it’s for record-keeping, sharing with someone offline, or simply for your personal preference, printing an email is a straightforward process across various email platforms. This guide will walk you through the steps on how to print an email, focusing primarily on Microsoft Outlook, covering different versions such as New Outlook, Classic Outlook, and Outlook on the web.

Printing Emails in New Outlook

Microsoft’s New Outlook interface offers a streamlined experience, and printing emails is just as intuitive. Here’s how you can print an email in New Outlook:

Printing an Email Message

If you need a physical copy of the email content itself, follow these simple steps:

1. Select the Email: Open or select the email you wish to print from your inbox or any folder.
2. Print Option: You can initiate the print command in two ways:
   • Using the Menu: Look for the Print option within the Outlook menu. This is usually found under the File menu or sometimes directly in the email reading pane options.
   • Using Keyboard Shortcut: The quickest way is to use the universal print shortcut: Ctrl + P (for Windows) or Command + P (for Mac).
3. Print Dialog: After selecting the print option, a print dialog box will appear. Here, you can choose your printer, set the number of copies, and configure other printing preferences.
4. Print: Click on the Print button in the dialog box to send your email to the printer.

Printing Email Attachments in New Outlook

Often, emails come with important attachments that you might also need to print. Here’s how to handle attachments in New Outlook:

1. Open the Email: Open the email containing the attachment you want to print.
2. Access Attachment Options: Locate the attachment in the email. New Outlook typically displays attachments at the top or bottom of the email body.
3. Preview or Open Attachment: Click on the attachment to see the dropdown menu. You will usually have two options:
   • Preview: Selecting Preview will open the attachment in a preview window within Outlook. From this preview screen, you should find a Print icon. Click it and follow the on-screen instructions to print.
   • Open: Choose Open to open the attachment in its default application (e.g., Word for .doc files, Adobe Reader for .pdf files). Once opened in the respective program, use the program’s print function (usually File > Print or Ctrl + P) to print the attachment.

Printing Emails in Classic Outlook

If you are using the classic version of Outlook, the process is slightly different but equally straightforward:

Printing Just an Email Attachment in Classic Outlook

For printing only the attachment without the email body in classic Outlook:

1. Select or Open the Email: Navigate to the email with the attachment you need to print.
2. Quick Print Option: Hover over the attachment icon. A dropdown arrow will appear. Click on this arrow and select Quick Print.
   • This option directly sends the attachment to your default printer without opening it.

Note: For printers other than the default or for more control, double-click the attachment to open it in its associated program and then print from there.

Printing an Email and Its Attachment in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook allows you to print both the email and its attachments together in a single command. You need to enable the “Print attached files” option first:

1. Select the Email: Choose the email with attachments from your message list.

2. Go to File > Print: Click on File in the Outlook menu, then select Print.

3. Print Options: In the Print dialog box, look for and click on Print Options.

4. Enable “Print attached files”: Check the box next to Print attached files. This setting will remain active for future prints until you uncheck it.

5. Print: Click on Print to print both the email and all its attachments.

Printing Emails in Outlook on the Web and Outlook.com

For users accessing Outlook through a web browser, the printing process is also simple:

Printing Attachments in Outlook on the Web/Outlook.com

To print only an attachment from Outlook on the web or Outlook.com:

1. Open the Email: Open the email containing the attachment.
2. Attachment Options: Find the attachment in the email interface.
3. Preview or Download: Similar to New Outlook, you’ll typically have options like:
   • Preview: Previewing the attachment will usually provide a print option within the preview interface.
   • Download: Select Download to save the attachment to your computer. Once downloaded, open it with the appropriate program and print from there.

Printing an Email Message in Outlook on the Web/Outlook.com

To print the email message itself:

1. Select the Email: Open the email you want to print.
2. Print Option: Look for the Print icon, usually represented by a printer symbol, within the email viewing options on the web interface. Alternatively, you can use the browser’s print function (Ctrl + P or Command + P).
3. Print Dialog: Your browser’s print dialog will appear, allowing you to adjust settings and then print the email.

Conclusion

Printing emails and attachments in Microsoft Outlook, whether you’re using the New Outlook, Classic Outlook, or web versions, is a straightforward task. By following these steps, you can easily obtain hard copies of your important email communications and documents. Whether you need a printout of the email body or just the attachments, Outlook provides flexible options to meet your needs. Remember to check your printer settings in the print dialog box to ensure the output meets your expectations every time you print an email.