Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Selecting a Paper Source.

Selecting a Paper Source

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 5, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

Word supports any printer supported by Windows. This is because Word uses the features offered by Windows to print documents. Many of the features associated with formatting your document and printing are related to the type of printer you have installed and selected. For instance, some laser printers have different bins for different paper. Windows (and thus Word) can instruct the printer to select paper from any of the available paper bins.

If your printer supports multiple paper sources and you want to change the paper source used for your document (for instance, you have a bin that contains letterhead and you want to print on it), you should follow these steps:

  1. Choose the Print option from the File menu. Word displays the Print dialog box.
  2. Make sure the printer listed at the top of the dialog box matches the printer you want to use for your printing.
  3. Click Cancel to close the Print dialog box. (If you choose OK, your document will print—don't do that yet.)
  4. Choose the Page Setup option from the File menu. Word displays the Page Setup dialog box.
  5. Click on the Paper Source tab. (In Word 2002 or Word 2003, click on the Paper tab. (See Figure 1.) )
  6. Figure 1. The Paper tab of the Page Setup dialog box.

  7. Use the controls on the tab to specify which paper tray you want used for the first page of your document, as well as all subsequent pages.
  8. Click on OK to close the dialog box.

If, in step 6, you don't see different options for paper sources, then your printer (or printer driver) does not support multiple sources. Once you have specified different sources for your paper, the information is saved with the document. This means that every time you print the document, it will select paper as you directed. This also applies to using the print-merging feature of Word. For instance, the first page of each document merged and printed can be selected from a different bin than each subsequent page.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (464) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Selecting a Paper Source.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Inserting a Row or Column

When editing worksheets, it is important to know how to add rows and columns. Excel provides a couple of quick ways you ...

Discover More

Hiding a Hyperlink on a Printout

Hyperlinks can be real handy in a workbook, but you may not always want them visible when you send the workbook to the ...

Discover More

Specifying Print Quantity in a Cell

When you print a worksheet, you can specify in the Print dialog box how many copies you want printed. If you want the ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Printing a Draft of a Document

Need to print a copy of a document but you don't care if it looks as "pretty" as you want the final printout to look? You ...

Discover More

Triple-Spacing Your Document

Print your document with lots of space between each line—triple space it! Here's some quick and easy steps for ...

Discover More

Printing a List of AutoCorrect Entries

Want a printed record of the AutoCorrect entries you've created in Word? There is no built-in way to do it, but you can ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 7?

2016-12-27 04:38:40

romana anjum

it was really helpful


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.