How to Print an Email in Outlook (Desktop & Web)

What You’ll Need

An email account set up in Outlook (desktop, web, or mobile)
A printer that is installed and turned on (or a PDF printer like “Microsoft Print to PDF”)
Access to the email you want to print

Step-by-Step

Open the email – Double-click the email in your inbox (or click once if reading in the reading pane) to open it in its own window. In Outlook on the web, click the email to select it, then it opens in the reading pane; you can also open it in a new window by clicking the pop-out icon.
Find the Print command – In Outlook desktop, click the File tab in the top-left corner, then select Print. In Outlook on the web, click the three dots (More actions) at the top of the email and choose Print. In the Outlook mobile app, tap the three dots at the top right and select Print.
Review print settings – A print preview window will appear. Here you can choose your printer, select the number of copies, and adjust other options like paper size or orientation. In Outlook desktop, you’ll see a preview on the right; in web, a new browser window with the print dialog appears.
Choose what to print – If you only want the email body, make sure the print range is set to “All” or “Current page” as needed. In Outlook desktop, you can also choose to print the attached files by selecting them in the “Print attached files” section (if any).
Select your printer – From the printer dropdown, pick your physical printer or a PDF printer if you want a digital copy. Make sure the printer is online and has paper.
Click Print – Press the Print button to send the job. Wait for the printer to finish. If you chose PDF, you’ll be prompted to save the file.

Common Mistakes

Printing the whole conversation – If your email is part of a conversation, Outlook may print all messages in the thread. Check the print settings for an option like “Print only the selected message” or “Print this message only.”
Not opening the email first – Clicking Print while just hovering over an email in the list might print the list, not the email. Always open the email first.
Printing attachments accidentally – In Outlook desktop, the print dialog lists attached files with checkboxes. Uncheck any you don’t want to print.
Using the wrong printer – If you have multiple printers, double-check the selected one. It’s easy to send to a printer in another room or a fax.

Tips

Save as PDF instead – Choose “Microsoft Print to PDF” as the printer to save the email as a digital file. This is great for archiving or sharing without using paper.
Print only the body – To avoid printing headers, signatures, and other clutter, copy the email body and paste it into a blank Word document, then print from there.
Use keyboard shortcut – In Outlook desktop, press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on Mac) to open the print dialog quickly.
Adjust margins – In the print preview, you can often reduce margins to fit more content on a page. Look for a “Margins” or “Layout” option.
Print in color or black and white – Choose your preference in the printer properties to save ink.

Troubleshooting

Print button is grayed out – This usually means no printer is selected or the printer is offline. Go to your computer’s settings and check that a default printer is set. In Outlook web, make sure your browser has access to the printer.
Nothing prints – Check that the printer is turned on, has paper, and is connected (USB or Wi-Fi). Look at the printer queue to see if the job is stuck. Cancel and resend if needed.
Print preview looks wrong – The email might be too wide. Try changing the paper orientation to landscape or reducing the scale in the print settings.
Attachments don’t print – In Outlook desktop, you must explicitly check the attachment in the print dialog. In web, you may need to download and open the attachment separately.
Only the first page prints – Check the page range in the print dialog. Set it to “All” instead of “Current page” or a specific range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print an email without opening it?

In Outlook desktop, you can right-click an email in the list and select Print. It will print using the default settings. In Outlook web, you must open the email first.

How do I print an email with its attachments?

In Outlook desktop, open the email, go to File > Print, and in the print dialog you’ll see a list of attachments with checkboxes. Check the ones you want and print. In Outlook web, you need to open each attachment and print it separately.

Why does my printed email have extra blank pages?

This often happens when the email is wider than the paper. Try changing the paper size or orientation, or reduce the scale in the print settings. Also, check for long signatures or images that push content to another page.

Can I print an email to a PDF file?

Yes. In the print dialog, choose “Microsoft Print to PDF” (Windows) or “Save as PDF” (Mac). Then choose where to save the file.

How do I print only the body of an email without headers?

Copy the email body, paste it into a Word or Google Docs document, and print from there. This removes the To/From/Date header and any extra clutter.

Does printing an email notify the sender?

No. Printing is a local action and the sender is not notified.

Sources: Microsoft Support. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.