Word provides a robust feature for previewing documents before printing. However, users sometimes encounter issues where the preview appears blank. In some cases, even the printed document turns out blank. This could be due to various factors, such as settings within the Word document that may be causing restrictions or issues with the printer software itself. In this post, we will see what to do if saved Word documents are not showing on Print Preview or printing out.
Saved Word document not showing on Print preview
If the saved Word document does not show on Print Preview or does not print out, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Enable Print Drawing Options for Office Word
- Troubleshoot Word Document
- Reinstall Printer Software
- Repair Microsoft Office
You may need admin permission for some of them.
1] Enable Print Drawing Options for Office Word
If you have a large image in the image, and that’s what you need to print, but you cannot see it, follow the steps to make sure the picture is available in the preview.
- Click on File > Options > Display
- Check the box which says, “Print drawings created in Word.”
- Next under Advanced > Show document content > Show picture placeholders
Other options include printing of background color, images, document properties, hidden text, etc.
2] Troubleshoot Word Document
We have written guides that can help you to fix issues with the Word documents. The first one helps you to troubleshoot damaged Word documents, and the second one is related to Word Printing
3] Reinstall Printer Software
Many prefer to use the Printer’s software to get a preview of the file. If that is the case and you cannot see it there, you have two options. Either reinstall the software or use the preview offered by Word Document. As long as it prints, it should work out fine.
4] Repair Microsoft Office
If nothing else works, you can try repairing Microsoft Office. The feature is built-in. Follow the steps as below:
Windows 11:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Apps > Installed apps.
- Search for “Word” or “Microsoft 365”, click on three dots, and then on Modify.
- You can then run Quick Repair or Online Repair
Windows 10:
- Right-click the Start button (lower-left corner), and select Apps and Features on the pop-up menu.
- Select the Microsoft Office product you want to repair, and select Modify.
- Then you can choose to run Quick Repair or Online Repair.
Quick Repair fixes most of the issues quickly without the need for an internet connection, while Online Repair takes longer and should be used when the quick repair doesn’t work.
I hope the post was easy to follow. You are now seeing the preview of the Word document, which you can print out.
Why is my Word document not showing up to print?
If Word documents are not displaying, check the settings related to layout, scaling, and page setup. If everything looks fine, consider printing from a different application or document to determine if the problem is isolated to the specific Word document.
Also Read: Word documents not printing correctly or properly.
