You have a long Word document but only need to print a few paragraphs or a single sentence. Selecting the text and choosing Print prints the entire document by default, not just your selection. This happens because the Print dialog does not automatically detect your selection. This article shows you the exact setting in the Print dialog that lets you print only the text you have highlighted.
Key Takeaways: How to Print Selected Text in Word
- File > Print > Settings > Print Selection: This is the only option that restricts output to your highlighted text.
- Ctrl + P to open the Print dialog: Use this keyboard shortcut to reach the Print Selection setting quickly.
- Selection must be contiguous: You cannot print non-adjacent selections from different parts of a document in one print job.
How the Print Selection Feature Works in Word
Word includes a dedicated print mode called Print Selection that appears only when you have text highlighted before opening the Print dialog. This mode overrides the default Print All Pages setting and sends only the selected content to the printer. No page breaks, headers, or footers from the rest of the document are included. The feature works in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and earlier versions back to Word 2010. No add-ins or special permissions are required. You only need to have at least one character selected before you press Ctrl + P or click File > Print.
Steps to Print Only the Selected Text in Word
- Select the text you want to print
Use your mouse or keyboard to highlight the exact text. Hold the left mouse button and drag across the content, or hold Shift and use the arrow keys. The selection can span multiple pages. Non-contiguous selections using Ctrl + click are not supported. - Open the Print dialog
Press Ctrl + P on your keyboard, or click File on the top-left ribbon and then click Print in the left menu. The Print dialog shows a preview of your document and a list of settings. - Change the print setting to Print Selection
Under the Settings section, click the first drop-down box. It currently shows Print All Pages by default. Scroll down the list and click Print Selection. The preview updates to show only your selected text. - Adjust other print settings if needed
Set the number of copies, choose a printer, and select color or black-and-white. These settings apply only to the printed selection, not to the full document. - Click the Print button
Click the large Print button at the top of the dialog. Word sends only the selected text to the printer. The rest of the document is ignored.
Common Mistakes When Printing Selected Text in Word
Print Selection option is grayed out or missing
The Print Selection option appears only when text is selected before opening the Print dialog. If you open Print first and then select text, the option remains grayed. Close the Print dialog, select your text, then press Ctrl + P again.
Printed output includes extra blank pages
Word may insert a blank page if your selection ends near a page break or if the selection includes a section break. To avoid this, select only the content you need, excluding any trailing paragraph marks or section breaks. Turn on Show/Hide (the pilcrow icon in the Home tab) to see hidden formatting marks before selecting.
Non-contiguous selections print incorrectly
You cannot hold Ctrl and select separate blocks of text on different pages and then print them together using Print Selection. Word prints only the first contiguous block it finds. To print multiple non-adjacent sections, copy each section into a new blank document and print that document.
Headers and footers from the original document appear in the printout
Print Selection does not carry over headers, footers, or page numbers from the original document. If you see headers or footers in the printed output, the selection likely includes a section break that carries the header settings. Remove the section break from the selection or copy the text to a new document and print from there.
Print Selection vs Print Current Page vs Custom Print in Word
| Item | Print Selection | Print Current Page | Custom Print (Page Range) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What gets printed | Only the highlighted text | The page where the cursor sits | Specific page numbers you type |
| Requires preselection | Yes | No | No |
| Can print across multiple pages | Yes, if selection spans pages | No | Yes, by entering a range like 3-6 |
| Excludes headers and footers | Yes | No | No |
| Best for | Printing a quote, summary, or excerpt | Printing the current view without selecting | Printing specific numbered pages |
You can now print only the selected text in Word using the Print Selection option in the Print dialog. Try using Ctrl + P to reach the setting faster. For complex excerpts that span non-adjacent sections, copy each block into a new document before printing to avoid blank pages or missing content.