You need to automatically print specific emails as they arrive in your Outlook inbox. This is common for processing orders, invoices, or shipping confirmations. Outlook’s rules feature can trigger a print action based on email criteria. This guide explains how to set up a mail rule to print incoming messages without manual intervention.
Key Takeaways: Automatically Printing Emails in Outlook
- Rules and Alerts dialog: Create a rule with the “print it” action to send qualifying emails directly to your default printer.
- Condition selection: Define which emails trigger the rule using criteria like sender, subject line, or specific words in the body.
- Run this rule now on messages already in the Inbox: Apply your new print rule to existing messages for immediate processing.
Understanding Outlook’s Print Rule Action
Outlook rules are automated workflows that perform actions on emails meeting certain conditions. The “print it” action is a standard option available in the Rules Wizard. When you create a rule with this action, Outlook will open the selected message and send it to your default Windows printer as soon as the rule processes it.
This feature works with any printer set as the default in Windows. You must have Outlook running, either in the foreground or minimized, for rules to process new mail. Rules that print emails work with POP, IMAP, and Microsoft Exchange accounts. The printed output uses your current default print settings for mail in Outlook.
Steps to Create a Rule That Prints Incoming Emails
Follow these steps to build a rule that automatically prints emails from a specific sender or with certain content.
- Open the Rules and Alerts dialog
In Outlook, go to the File tab on the ribbon. Select Manage Rules & Alerts. Click the New Rule button to start the Rules Wizard. - Choose a rule template
In the wizard, select “Apply rule on messages I receive” under Start from a blank rule. Click Next to proceed to conditions. - Select your conditions
Check the boxes for the conditions your target emails must meet. For example, check “from people or public group” to print emails from a specific sender. You can also use “with specific words in the subject” or “with specific words in the body”. Click Next after selecting. - Define the condition values
In the lower edit pane, click the underlined value link, such as “people or public group” or “specific words”. Enter the exact email address, name, or keyword. Click Add and then OK. Click Next to continue. - Choose the print action
In the action selection list, find and check the box for “print it”. This is the action that will automatically print the email. Click Next. - Add any exceptions
On the next screen, you can optionally add exceptions, like “except if the subject contains” certain words. If not needed, click Next without checking any boxes. - Name and finish the rule
Type a descriptive name for your rule, such as “Print invoices from supplier”. Ensure the box for “Turn on this rule” is checked. Click the “Run this rule now on messages already in the Inbox” box if you want to print existing matching emails. Click Finish to save and activate the rule.
Common Mistakes and Limitations to Avoid
The rule does not print any emails
If no printing occurs, first verify Outlook is running. Rules only process when Outlook is active. Check the rule conditions are correct by right-clicking a message that should print, selecting Rules, and choosing “Run Rules Now”. Select your print rule and click Run Now. If it prints, the rule is correct but may not be processing automatically due to Outlook being closed or rules being paused.
Outlook prints every email, not just the targeted ones
This happens when the rule conditions are too broad or incorrectly set. Edit the rule by going to File > Manage Rules & Alerts. Select the rule and click Change Rule > Edit Rule Settings. Review the condition step and ensure the underlined values are specified. A rule with no specific conditions will apply to all incoming messages.
The printed email format is incorrect
The print rule uses the default mail print style. To change this, go to File > Print. In the Print dialog, click the Print Options button. Under Print style, select a different style like Memo or Table Style. Click the Page Setup button for more formatting controls. Click OK, then Cancel. This sets the new style as the default for future rule-based prints.
Print Rule vs Manual Print: Key Differences
| Item | Automatic Print Rule | Manual Printing |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Email arrival meeting specific conditions | User selects email and clicks Print |
| Timing | Immediate upon receipt | Whenever the user decides |
| Printer Selection | Uses default Windows printer only | Can choose any installed printer |
| Print Settings | Uses default mail print style | Settings can be adjusted per print job |
| Outlook State Required | Outlook must be running | Outlook must be open and active |
You can now automatically print critical emails as they arrive in Outlook. Test the rule by sending yourself a matching test message. For more automation, explore other rule actions like moving messages to a folder or flagging them. Use the Run Rules Now feature to apply your print rule to hundreds of existing emails at once.