Where to Find Block Printing Based on Label Rights in New Outlook After Leaving Classic Outlook

If you have moved from classic Outlook to the new Outlook for Windows, you may notice that the familiar setting to block printing based on information protection label rights is no longer in the same place. This setting, which restricts users from printing emails and attachments that have specific sensitivity labels, is controlled by Microsoft Purview Information Protection policies. This article explains where the block printing setting now resides in the new Outlook and how to verify it is active.

The change occurs because the new Outlook uses a different integration method for sensitivity labels compared to classic Outlook. In classic Outlook, the block print action was enforced directly by the Outlook client based on label rights. In the new Outlook, these rights are enforced by the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client. This shift means administrators must configure label rights through the Microsoft Purview portal rather than through Outlook settings.

This article covers the exact location of the block printing setting for label rights, how to confirm the setting is applied correctly, and what to do if users can still print after the switch. You will also find a comparison table showing the key differences between how classic Outlook and new Outlook handle label-based printing restrictions.

Why the Block Printing Setting Moved in New Outlook

In classic Outlook, the block printing option was part of the File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Information Rights Management dialog. This setting directly controlled whether users with a specific permission level could print messages. When you switched to the new Outlook, this dialog no longer exists because the new Outlook does not manage label rights locally. Instead, the new Outlook relies on the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to define what actions are allowed for each sensitivity label.

The block printing action is now a property of each sensitivity label. When you create or edit a label in Microsoft Purview, you can specify which actions are blocked, including printing, copying, forwarding, and replying. The new Outlook reads these label rights from the Azure Information Protection service and applies them at runtime. If a label has the “Block printing” action enabled, the new Outlook disables the Print button for any item that has that label.

How Label Rights Are Enforced in New Outlook

The enforcement chain works as follows:

1. Label definition
   An administrator creates or edits a sensitivity label in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal. The label includes a “Block printing” action under the “Content marking” or “Encryption” section depending on the label type.
2. Label publishing
   The label is published to users through a label policy. The policy defines which groups or users receive the label.
3. Client enforcement
   The new Outlook, running on a device with the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client installed, downloads the label rights. When a user opens an item with the label, the client checks the rights and disables the Print button if printing is blocked.

If the unified labeling client is not installed, the new Outlook may still display the label but will not enforce the block printing action. This is a common reason why the setting appears to not work after moving from classic Outlook.

Steps to Find and Configure the Block Printing Setting in New Outlook

Follow these steps to locate and verify the block printing setting for label rights in the new Outlook. You must have Global Administrator or Compliance Administrator permissions in Microsoft 365.

1. Open the Microsoft Purview compliance portal
   Sign in to https://compliance.microsoft.com with your admin account. In the left navigation, select Information protection.
2. Select the sensitivity label
   On the Information protection page, click the Labels tab. Find the label that you want to block printing for. Click the label name to open its properties.
3. Configure the block printing action
   In the label properties, scroll to the Choose what actions users can take with content section. Check the box next to Block printing. If the label uses encryption, you will see this option under the encryption settings. Click Save.
4. Publish the label policy
   If the label is already published, the change applies automatically within a few hours. If you need to publish a new label policy, go to the Label policies tab, click Publish label, and follow the wizard. Select the label you just edited and assign the policy to the appropriate users or groups.
5. Install the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client
   On each Windows device where users run the new Outlook, download and install the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client from the Microsoft 365 admin center. Restart Outlook after installation.
6. Test the block printing setting
   In the new Outlook, open an email that has the sensitivity label you configured. Click the File tab or use the ribbon to check the Print button. If the setting is active, the Print button is grayed out or does not appear. You can also press Ctrl+P to verify that the print dialog does not open.

Verifying That the Unified Labeling Client Is Working

To confirm the client is enforcing rights correctly, open a labeled email and look for a small lock icon or a sensitivity label banner at the top of the message. If you see the label but the Print button is still active, the client may not be installed or the label policy may not have synced. Run the following command in PowerShell to check the client version:

Get-AIPStatus | Select-Object -Property ClientVersion

If the command returns no output, the unified labeling client is not installed.

If Block Printing Still Does Not Work After Configuration

Even after following the steps above, you may encounter scenarios where the block printing setting does not take effect. Below are the most common causes and their fixes.

The unified labeling client is not installed on the user’s device

Without the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client, the new Outlook cannot enforce label rights. Install the client from the Microsoft 365 admin center under Install > Other installs > Azure Information Protection client. After installation, restart Outlook and test again.

The label policy has not synced to the user’s device

Label policies can take up to 24 hours to sync. To force a sync, sign out of the new Outlook and sign back in. Alternatively, run the following command in an elevated PowerShell window on the user’s device:

Start-Process "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\MSIP.App.exe" -ArgumentList "-Sync"

The label is applied but the block printing action is not enabled

Double-check the label properties in the Microsoft Purview portal. The block printing action must be explicitly enabled. If the label uses encryption, ensure the encryption settings include the block printing option. Some labels may have encryption without the block printing action, which allows printing by default.

The user has a different label applied to the item

If the email or attachment has a different label than the one you configured, the block printing setting may not apply. Verify the label applied to the item by opening it and looking at the sensitivity label bar at the top. You can also use the Get-AIPFileStatus PowerShell cmdlet to check the label on a saved email.

Classic Outlook vs New Outlook: Block Printing Configuration Differences

Item	Classic Outlook	New Outlook
Configuration location	File > Options > Trust Center > Information Rights Management	Microsoft Purview compliance portal > Information protection > Labels
Client requirement	No additional client needed	Azure Information Protection unified labeling client required
Enforcement method	Local Outlook setting based on IRM permissions	Label rights applied by the Azure Information Protection service
User interface feedback	Print button hidden or grayed out	Print button grayed out or missing
Policy sync time	Immediate after restart	Up to 24 hours (can be forced with sync command)

After configuring the block printing setting in the new Outlook, you can now control printing restrictions through Microsoft Purview. This change gives you centralized management of label rights across all Microsoft 365 apps. Next, consider reviewing other label actions such as block copy and block forward to further protect sensitive content. To speed up label policy sync, run the manual sync command on user devices rather than waiting for automatic refresh.