How to Print Without Comments and Track Changes in Word

When you print a document that contains tracked changes or comments, Word includes those markup elements by default. This results in messy printouts with inserted text underlined in red, deleted text shown with strikethrough, and comment balloons crowding the page margins. The cause is Word’s default print setting, which prints the document with markup displayed. This article explains how to change the print settings so that Word prints the document as if all changes were accepted and all comments removed, without permanently altering the document itself.

How Word Handles Tracked Changes and Comments During Printing

Word stores tracked changes and comments as separate metadata layers on top of the document content. When you print with markup visible, Word renders the document showing insertions, deletions, formatting changes, and comment balloons. This is controlled by a single toggle in the Print dialog called Print Markup. By default, this toggle is enabled, meaning every printout includes all markup.

The Print Markup setting does not modify the document. It only instructs Word to ignore the markup layer during the print job. The document retains all tracked changes and comments. You can re-enable Print Markup later to print with markup again.

There are two additional methods that achieve the same result but work differently. The first is to hide all markup on screen before printing. The second is to accept all changes and delete all comments permanently. The first method is temporary and reversible. The second method permanently alters the document, so it should be used only on a copy of the file.

Print Without Markup Using the Print Dialog

This is the fastest and safest method. It works in Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 2021, and Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. It also works in Word for Mac with minor differences in the dialog layout.

1. Open the document in Word
   Make sure the document contains tracked changes or comments. If the document has no markup, this setting has no effect.
2. Press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog
   You can also go to File > Print. The Print dialog shows a preview of the document and a list of settings on the left.
3. Click the Print All Pages button under Settings
   This button shows the current page range. A drop-down menu appears with printing options.
4. Uncheck Print Markup at the bottom of the drop-down list
   Print Markup is the last item in the list. When unchecked, the print preview updates immediately. The preview now shows the document without any tracked changes or comment balloons.
5. Click Print at the top of the dialog
   Word prints the document as a clean copy. All tracked changes and comments are suppressed during printing only.

Print Without Markup by Hiding Markup on Screen

If you prefer to see the document without markup before printing, you can hide all markup on screen. This method also prevents markup from appearing in the printout because Word prints what you see on screen.

1. Go to the Review tab
   The Review tab is on the ribbon at the top of the Word window.
2. In the Tracking group, click the Show Markup button
   A drop-down list appears with options: Comments, Insertions and Deletions, Formatting, Markup Area Highlight, Balloons, and Specific People.
3. Uncheck all items in the Show Markup list
   When all items are unchecked, Word hides all tracked changes and comments on screen. The document looks like a clean final version.
4. Press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog
   Verify that the print preview shows the document without markup. If it still shows markup, check that Print Markup is also unchecked in the Print dialog.
5. Click Print
   Word prints the clean version. After printing, you can re-enable Show Markup items to see the tracked changes again.

Print Without Markup by Accepting Changes and Deleting Comments

Use this method only when you want to permanently remove all tracked changes and comments from the document. This method changes the document itself. Always work on a copy of the original file.

1. Save a copy of the document
   Press F12 to open the Save As dialog. Save a copy with a new name, such as “Final Version.docx.” Close the original document.
2. Go to the Review tab
   The Review tab contains the Accept and Delete commands.
3. In the Changes group, click the arrow below Accept
   A drop-down list appears. Select Accept All Changes. Word applies all tracked changes to the document content.
4. In the Comments group, click the arrow below Delete
   A drop-down list appears. Select Delete All Comments in Document. Word removes all comment balloons.
5. Press Ctrl+P and print the document
   The document now contains no markup, so the printout is clean. You cannot recover the original tracked changes from this copy.

If the Printout Still Shows Markup

Word Prints With Markup Even After Unchecking Print Markup

This can happen if the document uses legacy markup from an earlier version of Word. Go to File > Options > Display. Under Printing options, uncheck Print hidden text. Hidden text is used by Track Changes to store deleted content. Also uncheck Print document properties if that is enabled. Click OK and try printing again.

The Final Version Shows Markup in the Print Preview but Not in the Document

Some documents contain multiple authors’ changes that are not visible on screen but are still stored in the document. Open the Review tab and click the Show Markup button. Ensure that all items are unchecked. Then check that the Display for Review drop-down in the Tracking group is set to No Markup or Final. If it is set to All Markup or Original, changes may appear in the printout.

Comments Appear in the Printout Even Though Track Changes Are Hidden

Comments are separate from tracked insertions and deletions. In the Print dialog, you must uncheck Print Markup to suppress comments. Hiding comments on screen via Show Markup also works. If comments still appear, go to File > Options > Display and uncheck Show comments in balloons when printing.

Item	Print Markup Unchecked	Show Markup Unchecked
Scope	Applies only to printing	Applies to screen display and printing
Reversibility	Fully reversible	Fully reversible
Effect on document	None	None
Steps required	One checkbox in Print dialog	Multiple checkboxes in Review tab
Best for	Quick one-time print	Reviewing on screen before printing

You can now print any Word document without tracked changes or comments appearing on the page. Use the Print Markup toggle for a quick one-time print. Use the Show Markup method when you want to review the clean version on screen first. For a permanent clean copy, accept all changes and delete all comments on a duplicate file. As an advanced tip, create a macro that sets Print Markup to off and then opens the Print dialog, saving two clicks each time you print a reviewed document.