Printing Document Files

The Office programs all make it very easy to print their document files. As a general rule, for example, you can click the Print toolbar button to print just about any Office document file—and usually in a way you'll find acceptable. Nevertheless, it's still extremely beneficial to go beyond this simple (although highly effective) technique because in doing so you'll learn how to print Office document files that look exactly the way you want.

Printing Basics

As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, you can print the open document file—Word document, Excel workbook, PowerPoint presentation, Access database file object, or Outlook item—by clicking the Print toolbar button. When you click the Print toolbar button, you in effect tell the Office program to print the open document file in the usual way. (The "usual" way just means with all the default, or suggested, print settings.)

If you don't want to use the default, or suggested, print settings—or if you want to verify the print settings—you can choose File | Print. When you do, the Office program displays a dialog box which you can use to select specific options.