Using Print Preview

Many programs offer a Print Preview feature that enables you to see how a document will look on paper before you actually print it. That way, you’ll know what to expect and avoid unpleasant surprises and wasted paper, such as expecting to print one page and ending up with twenty pages!

Many newer programs that use the tab specification similar to Microsoft Office 2010 have the Print Preview built in to the Print tab. Other programs use a separate Print Preview tool.

To use Print Preview, you’ll need to open the document first or browse to the web page you want to print. Then, choose Tools Print Print Preview (or similar command sequence) from the program’s menu bar (assuming that the program you’re using has a Print Preview feature, such as the one in Internet Explorer). Or, right-click the page and choose Print Preview.

For example, suppose that you’re considering printing a web page that you’re currently viewing. Before you start printing, you’d like to know how many pages will print and how things will look on paper. Click the Tools icon and choose Print Print Preview to see how the page(s) will look printed. At the bottom of the window is a Page x of y indicator, where y tells you how many pages will print. Use the Show Multiple Pages drop-down list in the toolbar to display multiple pages, as in the example shown in Figure 33.8.

FIGURE 33.8 Internet Explorer’s Print Preview window

Use the arrows at the bottom of Print Preview to scroll through individual pages. Point to any button in the toolbar to see its name and purpose. To print straight from the Print Preview window, click the Print button at the left side of the toolbar. The Print dialog box will open. From there you should be able to choose specific pages to print. When you’re finished with Print Preview, close it to return to the original program.