Printing Problems in Different MS Outlook Versions

Read time 6 minutes

When attempting to print an Outlook message, you might encounter a frustrating limitation: the inability to selectively print specific pages or just the first page of the message. This lack of printing flexibility has left many Outlook users dissatisfied. The root cause of this limitation lies in Outlook’s printing engine, which lacks support for page selection. In this article, we will delve into the printing challenges experienced by users when printing messages in Outlook versions from 2003 and onwards.

Printing issues in Outlook 2003 and earlier versions

HTML-formatted messages in Outlook 2003 and its predecessors rely on Internet Explorer’s printing engine. While Internet Explorer’s engine offers additional printing choices, the core issue persists: the inability to select specific pages for printing remains unresolved.

Outlook 2007 introduces the ‘View in Browser’ feature, unlocking comprehensive web page printing capabilities. This version also allows users to print selected pages or text. However, it’s worth noting that Outlook 2007 lacks the ability to include email header information when printing.

To access the message in its dedicated window, please follow these steps:

• Click Other Actions.
• Go to Edit Message. On the Options tab, select Change to HTML.
• Go back to the Message tab, select Other Actions, View in Browser, and then print from the browser.

These methods enable convenient printing of selected pages or text in Outlook 2003 and earlier versions, as well as Outlook 2007. By employing the solutions mentioned above, you gain the ability to fulfill your printing requirements and exercise control over the printing of your messages.

Outlook 2010 does allow message printing, but unfortunately, it tends to mishandle the message header. The resulting layout appears disorganized, often making the entire message look unappealing on the printed page.

The disorganization of the header occurs because of the message arrangement on the printed page. To mitigate this, consider opening the message in your web browser. From there, access the ‘View’ option and print the message without including the header. Alternatively, opt for the ‘Print Selection’ feature, allowing you to choose and print only the specific content you need.

Printing problems can surface in Outlook 2013, such as instances where Outlook fails to print messages after installation on a Windows 10 system. While other applications within the MS Office suite function smoothly, Outlook may encounter issues, displaying error messages or simply refusing to print messages.

Cannot print unless an item is selected. Select an item, and then try to print again.

To resolve these Outlook 2013 printing issues, you can utilize several methods. Let’s begin with the first one.

Method – 1. Run the Outlook application in safe mode by running this command in Run option.
Outlook /safe

1. Follow File>>Options>>Add-ins>>COM Add-ins. Click the Go button.
2. If there are adds-in listed, then uncheck it.
3. Restart the Outlook again and try to print a message.
4. Repeat the same procedure by disabling another Add-in. It will clear the picture that which add-in is causing the issue.

Method -2. Outlook puts its print settings in a unique Outlprnt file. If this file is either missing or facing a corruption, then you need to rebuild it by following the steps –

1. Go to Start option, point to search, click Files or Folders.
2. Type Outlprnt and click search now.
3. select the file, right-click and click Rename.
4. Provide a new name to the file and the close the search option.
5. Restart the Outlook and try to print a message.

When attempting to print in Outlook 2016 on a Windows 10 system, some users encounter a recurring issue where they receive a ‘printer is not ready’ message, despite their printer being in a ready state. In such cases, troubleshooting steps are necessary to resolve this problem and enable successful printing.

Method -1. Follow the steps –

1. Make sure that printer is active by checking the USB connection for the wired printer and Wi-fi connection for wireless printer. Fix the network issue if there is any.
2. Download and run the printing troubleshooting tool.
3. If the printer does not work ever after running the troubleshooting tool, then update the driver. Go to the Device Manager, then go to the Printer options, find your printer and select the Update Driver option.

Method -2. There is a spooling service which manage the printing services. You can restart the service to clear the file. Here is its process –

1. In the Search bar, write the services, and it will open a list of all the windows services.
2. In the list, find the Print Spooler and double click it. Choose to Stop it.
3. In the Search bar, type ‘%WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers’, the delete the files present in the folder.
4. Go to the Services list again and restart the Print Spooler service.

Method – 3

If you are using the Windows 10 and the status of printer is Offline, and it is unable to communicate with the computer, then you can run some basic troubleshooting steps –

1. The first step is the simple one to check that your printer is connected through the Wi-Fi to your computer. Check the instructions on the printer’s user manual and try to connect via Wi-Fi.
2. Turn off the power of the printer for 30 seconds, re-plug the printer, and try to connect with your computer.
3. You should make the printer as the default one by following the steps like Settings>>Devices>>Printers & Scanners. Choose your printer and click Open Queue. Under the Printer category, Select Set As Default Printer.
4. If there is an ongoing print queue, then you need to clear it by going to Settings, then Devices, and then Printers & Scanners. Choose your Printer and click Open Queue. Choose the document under the Document Name and click Cancel.
5. Restart all the printing related services by going to the services. Write services.msc in the Run window and after opening all services, find Print Spooler, right-click it and then Restart.
6. Reconnect the printer with your computer by going to Printers & Scanners in Settings. Choose your printer and click Remove device. Click Yes for the pop-up. After removing the printer, add the printer again by following the adding instructions.
7. Finally, restart your computer again and try to establish a connection with the newly connected printer. If all the above steps are followed clearly, then there will be a successful connection with the printer and there will be no printing problems in the Outlook also.

Sometimes, Outlook 2019 users will not be able to preview and print emails.

Typically, you can print Outlook items by navigating to File > Print. If you encounter issues, Microsoft recommends consulting your printer’s manual or visiting the printer manufacturer’s website for assistance.

Conclusion

At times, Outlook may encounter printing issues, and the methods to resolve them can vary depending on the Outlook version. However, if you also experience accessibility problems in Outlook, it could be due to a corrupt Outlook PST file. In such instances, repairing the Outlook PST file becomes essential, and you can accomplish this task using a tool like Kernel for Outlook PST Repair.