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: Printing the Active Document from a Macro.

Printing the Active Document from a Macro

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 5, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

Macros really can make life easier. It is not uncommon to create macros that perform repetitive tasks, and thereby relieve us of the mundane tasks we might otherwise need to perform. It is also not uncommon to need to print out the current document after doing some processing on it. If you find yourself with this need, you can simply let the macro take care of printing the current document. To add this capability to your macros, simply include a line like this:

ActiveDocument.PrintOut Copies:=1

The PrintOut method prints the specified document; in this case, the ActiveDocument object—the document currently selected—is printed. In this particular usage, the Copies argument is used to specify how many copies of the document to print.

When using the PrintOut method, there are quite a few different arguments you can use. Rather than detail all of them, it is probably more useful to just look at some of the more common arguments you can use.

Argument Meaning
Copies The number of copies to print.
Pages The page ranges to print. The ranges are separated by commas and enclosed in quote marks, similar to how you specify page ranges in the Print dialog box.
PrintToFile Normally False, but you can set it to True if you want output to go to a disk file instead of the printer.
OutputFileName Only necessary if you set PrintToFile to True. Used to specify the file name of the output file.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (830) 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: Printing the Active Document from a Macro.

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

Copying Print Areas when Copying Worksheets

Print areas are a great way to define what, exactly, you want to print from a worksheet. When you copy worksheets, the ...

Discover More

Clearing the Undo Stack in a Macro

When writing a macro, you may need a way to clear the undo stack. This can be done with a single command, as described in ...

Discover More

Resetting Tab Stops to the Default

If you get a document that has all sorts of wonky tab stops defined, it is an easy task to get rid of them all and set ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (menu)

Determining if a File Exists

Your macro may need to know if a particular file exists. This is easy to figure out using the Dir command, and even ...

Discover More

Screen Flip Flop with VBA

Word allows users to conveniently work with multiple documents at the same time. When writing macros, you may need to ...

Discover More

Understanding the For ... Next Structure

Spend any time creating Word macros, and sooner or later you will need to repeat some of your programming code a certain ...

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 seven more than 5?

2023-08-23 20:08:13

Larry Wilson

For three days I have researched and I have tested using Office 365 in both Win10 and Win11 and using both Excel (to create Word objects) and Word. Regardless whether I look (using the Watch Window) at the created (with "Set") application object (of either type Object or Word.Application) or its component called "Application", I am unable to find "PrintOut". The only thing I see that starts with "Print" is "PrintPreview". I assume I am looking in the wrong place.


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.