You review a document in Print Layout view with Track Changes turned on. The document shows insertions underlined in red and deletions struck through. But when you open the Print Preview or export to PDF, the same changes appear formatted differently — some marks vanish, colors shift, or the layout changes entirely. This mismatch happens because Word uses two separate rendering engines: one for on-screen editing and another for the print preview and final output. This article explains why these views differ, how Word handles Track Changes in each context, and how to make the preview match your display.
Key Takeaways: Track Changes Display vs Print Layout Preview
- File > Options > Display > Printing options > Print what is shown on screen: Forces the print preview to use the same markup display settings as your editing view.
- Review > Tracking > Show Markup > Balloons vs Inline: Controls whether changes appear in balloons in the margin or directly in the text, and this setting affects print output differently.
- File > Print > Settings > Print All Pages > Print Markup: A checkbox that, when cleared, removes all Track Changes marks from the printed document entirely.
Why Print Layout View and Print Preview Use Different Rendering Engines
Word’s Print Layout view is designed for real-time editing. It uses a simplified rendering engine that prioritizes speed and interactivity. This engine applies Track Changes formatting — like red underlines, strikethroughs, and balloons — based on your current display settings in the Review tab. However, the print preview and the final print output use a separate, full-resolution rendering engine. This engine paginates the document exactly as a printer would, applying a different set of rules for how markup appears.
The key difference lies in the Print what is shown on screen option, located in File > Options > Display > Printing options. By default, this option is unchecked. When unchecked, Word ignores your on-screen Track Changes display settings and uses its own print-specific defaults. This can cause changes that were shown as balloons on screen to appear inline in the preview, or vice versa. Color choices for inserted or deleted text may also reset to the default red and blue instead of your custom colors.
Another factor is the Show Markup submenu in the Review tab. The setting for how comments and formatting changes appear — either in balloons or inline — directly affects the print preview. Word’s print engine treats balloons differently from inline markup because balloons require extra margin space. If the margin is too narrow, the print engine may collapse balloons into inline marks, altering the layout.
How the Print Engine Handles Track Changes Markup
When you send a document to print, Word creates a temporary print image. During this process, the print engine evaluates each tracked change and decides how to represent it based on three factors:
- The Print what is shown on screen setting in File > Options > Display.
- The Print Markup checkbox in the Print dialog (File > Print > Settings).
- The Balloons vs Inline setting in Review > Show Markup.
If any of these settings differ between your editing view and the print preview, the appearance of Track Changes will differ. For example, if you have balloons turned on for the screen but the print engine decides there is insufficient margin space, it will revert to inline markings. This can cause deletions that appeared as red strikethrough text on screen to become red strikethrough text in the print preview, but insertions that appeared as underlined text in balloons may become underlined text directly in the body.
Steps to Make Print Preview Match the On-Screen Display
To resolve the mismatch, you need to align the print settings with your display preferences. Follow these steps in order.
- Enable Print what is shown on screen
Open your document. Go to File > Options > Display. Under the Printing options section, check the box labeled Print what is shown on screen. Click OK. This forces the print engine to use the same Track Changes display settings you see in Print Layout view. - Check the Print Markup setting
Press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog. Under Settings, click Print All Pages. In the drop-down list, make sure Print Markup is checked. If it is unchecked, Word will print the document as if all changes were accepted, removing all markup from the output. - Set Balloons to match your preference
Go to Review > Tracking > Show Markup. Point to Balloons and choose Show All Revisions Inline or Show Only Comments and Formatting in Balloons. The inline option places all insertions and deletions directly in the text. The balloon option places comments and formatting changes in the margin. Choose the same setting you want for print. - Adjust margin width for balloons
If you use balloons, ensure the document margins are wide enough. Go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. Set Left and Right margins to at least 1 inch. Narrow margins cause the print engine to convert balloons to inline marks. - Preview before printing
Press Ctrl+P. Look at the preview pane on the right side of the Print dialog. Scroll through several pages. Verify that the Track Changes formatting matches what you see in Print Layout view. If it does not, repeat steps 1 through 4.
If Track Changes Preview Still Differs After the Main Fix
Track Changes colors change in print preview
Word assigns default colors to each reviewer: Author 1 gets red, Author 2 gets blue, and so on. The print engine may reset these to the defaults if you have customized them. To keep custom colors, go to Review > Tracking > Tracking Options (the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Tracking group) > Advanced Options. Under Color, choose By author or a specific color. Then enable Print what is shown on screen as described in step 1 above.
Balloons appear in print but not on screen
This happens when your screen display is set to inline but the print engine switches to balloons. Check the Balloons setting in Review > Show Markup. Set it to Show All Revisions Inline. Then verify the Print what is shown on screen option is checked. If the problem persists, close and reopen the document to refresh the print cache.
Deleted text disappears in print preview
If deleted text is not visible in the print preview, the Print Markup checkbox is likely unchecked. Go to File > Print and check Print Markup under Print All Pages. Also confirm that the Show All Revisions Inline option is selected in Review > Show Markup > Balloons. Inline mode shows deleted text with strikethrough formatting; balloon mode shows it in a comment balloon.
Track Changes Display vs Print Layout: Key Differences
| Item | On-Screen Display (Print Layout) | Print Preview / Printed Output |
|---|---|---|
| Rendering engine | Simplified, interactive engine | Full-resolution print engine |
| Balloon behavior | Uses margin width as defined in layout | May collapse balloons if margins are under 1 inch |
| Color assignment | Respects custom author colors | Defaults to Word’s built-in author colors unless Print what is shown on screen is enabled |
| Markup visibility | Controlled by Review > Show Markup | Controlled by Print Markup checkbox and Print what is shown on screen option |
| Layout reflow | Dynamic reflow as you edit | Fixed pagination based on paper size and margins |
The primary cause of the mismatch is the Print what is shown on screen option being disabled. The secondary cause is the Balloons setting differing between the screen and print engine. By enabling the display-matching option and aligning the balloon preference, you can achieve a consistent view.
Now you can review a document in Print Layout view and trust that the print preview will look identical. Next, try using the Compare Documents feature in Review > Compare to merge changes from two versions before printing. An advanced tip: if you regularly print documents with Track Changes, save a macro that sets Print what is shown on screen to true and applies your preferred balloon setting with one click.