Are you tired of those pesky comments showing up on your printed Word documents? Do you need a quick and easy way to remove them before hitting print? This guide provides the fastest methods to banish comments from your printed output, saving you time and frustration.
Why Remove Comments Before Printing?
Before diving into the solutions, let's understand why removing comments before printing is crucial. Comments are essential for collaboration and editing, but they often clutter printed documents, making them less professional and harder to read. Removing them ensures a clean, polished final product.
The Fastest Methods to Remove Comments in Word Before Printing
Here are the quickest ways to get rid of those unwanted comments, ensuring your printed document looks exactly as intended.
Method 1: The Print Selection Trick
This is arguably the fastest method. It's perfect for situations where you only need to print a portion of your document, and you want to avoid editing the original file.
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Select the Text: Highlight the sections of your document you want to print. Make sure to avoid selecting areas containing comments you want to keep.
-
Print Selection: Go to
File
>Print
. Choose your printer and settings. In the "Settings" section, ensure you have "Selection" selected under "Pages". This will only print the selected text. -
Print: Click "Print." Only the selected text will appear in your printout, leaving the comments behind.
Method 2: Using the "Print Preview" Feature
This approach allows you to visualize the document before printing, giving you a chance to spot any lingering comments.
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Print Preview: Go to
File
>Print
>Print Preview
. This will show you an exact preview of your printed document. -
Review for Comments: Carefully examine the preview. If you see comments that you didn't expect, you can still cancel the print job.
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Print (or adjust): If everything looks good, proceed to print. If comments are still visible, you'll need to use another method to remove them before printing again.
Method 3: The "Print What" Option
This method involves changing the print settings to exclude certain parts of your Word document, including comments.
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Access Print Options: Go to
File
>Print
. -
Choose "Print What": Look for an option that lets you select "Document" or a similar setting. This will usually print only the main text.
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Review and Print: Ensure your settings are correct. Printing should now omit comments.
Removing Comments Permanently (for Editing)
If you frequently deal with comments and want a more permanent solution, consider deleting the comments directly from the document:
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Select Comments: Select the comments you want to remove.
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Delete: Press the
Delete
key or right-click and select "Delete". -
Save: Save your Word document. Comments will now be permanently removed.
Remember to save a copy of your original file before making any permanent changes. This approach is best if you want a cleaner document, regardless of printing.
Conclusion: Choosing the Best Method
The "Print Selection" trick is the fastest for targeted printing, "Print Preview" offers a visual check before committing to printing, and the "Print What" option directly controls what is printed. Permanent comment removal is best when you need a clean document for editing or future use. Choose the method that best suits your needs and printing style!