The new Outlook for Windows uses a different printing engine than the classic desktop app. This change can cause printed emails and calendars to look different, with altered margins, fonts, or page breaks. The new layout is based on web technologies, which sometimes interprets formatting differently. This article explains how to adjust the print settings in the new Outlook to match your preferred output.
Key Takeaways: Adjusting Print Layout in New Outlook
- Print Preview > Page Setup: Opens the dialog to adjust margins, header/footer, and paper orientation before printing.
- Print > More settings > Scale: Controls the size of the printed content to fit more or less on a page.
- File > Print > Print Options: Accesses advanced settings for print quality and specific printer properties.
Why the New Outlook Print Output Looks Different
The new Outlook is built on a modern web platform, while the classic app uses the older Microsoft Office rendering engine. This fundamental shift affects how pages are composed for printing. The web-based engine may apply default browser-like styles, which can change font smoothing, spacing, and how embedded images are positioned. Your default printer driver and its settings also interact differently with the new application, potentially altering the final page layout.
Another common difference is in the handling of page scaling. The new Outlook might default to a different scale percentage to fit content to the page, which can make text appear smaller or larger than expected. Header and footer information, like page numbers or the print date, may also be positioned differently or use a new default font. Understanding that these are system-level differences, not bugs, is the first step to regaining control over your printed documents.
Steps to Adjust the Printing Layout
Use the Print Preview and Page Setup features to fine-tune your output. Always check the preview before sending a job to the printer.
- Open the Print dialog
Select the email or calendar item you want to print. Click File in the top-left corner, then select Print. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+P. - Access Print Preview and Page Setup
In the Print pane on the right, a preview of the output is shown. Click the Page Setup link below the printer selection dropdown to open the configuration dialog. - Modify margins and orientation
In the Page Setup dialog, use the Margins tab to set Top, Bottom, Left, and Right values in inches. Use the Paper tab to switch between Portrait and Landscape orientation. - Configure headers and footers
Switch to the Header/Footer tab in the Page Setup dialog. You can clear the predefined boxes and type your own text. Use the toolbar buttons to insert codes for page numbers, page count, date, or time. - Adjust print scaling
Go back to the main Print pane. Click More settings to expand the options. Find the Scale setting. You can select Fit sheet on one page or adjust the custom scale percentage to make the content larger or smaller. - Set advanced printer properties
In the Print pane, click the Printer Properties link. This opens your specific printer driver’s dialog box, where you can often set print quality, color mode, and paper type, which can affect layout. - Print the document
After making all adjustments and verifying the preview, select your printer, choose the number of copies, and click the Print button.
Common Printing Problems and Adjustments
Text is too small or too large on the printed page
This is usually a scaling issue. In the Print pane under More settings, check the Scale option. Avoid Shrink to fit if it makes text too small. Instead, use a custom scale like 100% for actual size, or adjust the percentage until the preview looks correct. Also, verify the paper size in Page Setup matches the physical paper in your printer.
Margins are wrong or content is cut off
Some printers have a non-printable area that the new Outlook might not account for by default. Manually increase the margin values in the Page Setup dialog, especially the left and right margins. Try setting them to 0.75 inches or 1 inch as a test. Also, ensure you are not using a header or footer that is too large, encroaching on the main content area.
Print quality is poor or graphics are missing
This is often related to printer driver settings. Click the Printer Properties link in the Print pane. In the driver dialog, look for settings like Print Quality or Resolution and set them to a higher DPI. Also, check for an option like Print Background Colors and Images and ensure it is enabled.
New Outlook vs Classic Outlook Printing Features
| Item | New Outlook (Web-Based) | Classic Outlook (Desktop App) |
|---|---|---|
| Print Engine | Web browser rendering engine | Microsoft Office native engine |
| Page Setup Access | Via Print Preview pane link | Direct button in Print dialog |
| Header/Footer Editor | Basic text box with insert codes | Advanced dialog with font formatting |
| Default Scaling | Often Fit to page | Often Actual size (100%) |
| Printer Properties | Link opens native driver window | Integrated into main print flow |
You can now adjust the print layout in the new Outlook to produce consistent results. Use the Page Setup dialog to control margins and headers as your first step. For further control, explore the advanced settings in your specific printer driver. A useful tip is to create a test document with borders and images, print it, and use those settings as a baseline for future prints.