To print on Windows 11, open the document, photo or webpage, press Ctrl + P, select your physical printer, check the preview and settings, and select Print. If your printer is missing, add it through Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners first.
This guide covers printing from an app after connecting a USB or network printer. The available options depend on the app, printer and driver. Microsoft documentation reviewed October 3, 2026; no physical printer test is claimed.
Before you print
Turn the printer on, load the correct paper, and check ink or toner and any warning on its display. Connect a USB printer to the PC, or connect a wireless printer to a network the PC can access. A printer on an isolated guest network may not be reachable.
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and check whether the printer is listed. If it is missing, select Add device and wait for discovery. Follow our Windows 11 printer installation guide for USB, Wi-Fi and manual setup. Microsoft’s installation instructions also explain driver limitations on ARM PCs.
Print a document, photo or webpage
Step 1: Open what you want to print
Open the file in an app that can display it correctly: for example, a document in Word, a PDF in Edge, or a picture in a photo app. For a webpage, open the specific page in your browser.
Check that the correct file or page is visible. Printing uses the app’s layout, so a broken document or an incompletely loaded page can affect the output.
Step 2: Open the print controls
Press Ctrl + P. In Word, you can also select File > Print; in Edge, open Settings and more > Print. These commands open the app’s print options, as described in Microsoft’s print-preview guide.
The panel may look different between apps. If Ctrl + P does nothing, look for Print in the app’s menu rather than assuming the printer has failed.
Step 3: Select the intended printer
Choose your printer by name in the Printer or destination list. Check the selection every time, especially on a PC that has several printers. If two entries look alike, you can rename a printer in Windows 11 so it is easier to pick out.
For paper output, select the physical device. A destination such as Microsoft Print to PDF creates a file instead; it does not send the document to the printer tray. If your device is missing, return to the installation checks above.
Step 4: Check the preview and options
Start with one copy or a single test page before sending a large job. Check these settings where the app and printer provide them:
- Pages: choose all pages or a range. In desktop Word, a range such as 2-4,7 prints pages 2 through 4 and page 7. See Microsoft’s Word printing instructions.
- Copies: confirm the quantity before printing.
- Paper size and orientation: match the loaded paper and choose portrait or landscape as appropriate.
- Color: choose color, grayscale or black and white if supported. The control may be inside Printer properties or Preferences; Microsoft explains that the color options depend on the printer.
- Two-sided printing: use an available duplex option, or follow the app’s manual two-sided prompts if supported. Do not assume every printer automatically turns the sheet over.
Look through the preview for clipped edges, blank pages, tiny text and unwanted content. A preview helps check layout, but cannot confirm ink levels or guarantee the paper output. For a sensitive document, confirm you are sending it to a printer you can collect from promptly.
Step 5: Print once and check the result
Select Print after checking the destination and preview. The job should enter the selected printer’s queue; collect the pages after the printer finishes.
If nothing appears, check the queue before pressing Print repeatedly. Repeated clicks can leave multiple copies waiting to print later.
Webpages and missing backgrounds in Edge
For a webpage, use Edge’s print panel and preview first. If required background colors or pictures are missing, open More settings and enable Background graphics. This can use additional ink.
For supported articles, press F9 to enter Immersive Reader, then print that reading view to reduce surrounding clutter. It is not available for every website. To reach the Windows print dialog instead of Edge’s panel, press Ctrl + Shift + P. Microsoft’s Edge printing guide covers these alternatives.
Choose a default printer in Windows 11
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Under Printer preferences, turn Let Windows manage my default printer off, select your printer, and select Set as default. If that button is missing, check the management switch first.
Turn the switch back on to return to Windows-managed selection. Microsoft’s default-printer documentation explains this behavior. An app’s selected destination can still differ, so confirm it before sending a job.
If printing does not work
- Wrong output or no paper: recheck the selected printer, page range and paper size. Check paper, supplies, covers and jams.
- Printer disconnected or offline: check the USB cable or network connection. Microsoft recommends turning the printer off, unplugging it for 30 seconds, reconnecting it and turning it on. Use the printer troubleshooter in Get Help if needed; see Microsoft’s connection troubleshooting guide.
- Only one app or file fails: try another document and an app such as Notepad or Paint. If those print, the problem may be with the original file or app.
- Jobs are waiting: open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, then Open print queue. Cancel your unwanted or stuck job before retrying. Follow our Windows 11 print-queue guide if cancellation does not clear it.
To check printing independently of the original app, select the printer in Settings, open Printer properties > General > Print Test Page. If this fails too, investigate the printer connection or driver. If it works, focus on the original app or document. This diagnostic route comes from Microsoft’s app-specific printing troubleshooting.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print wirelessly?
Yes, with a compatible network printer that the PC can reach and that Windows has installed. Wi-Fi capability alone does not mean the printer is already connected to your network.
Why are color or double-sided controls missing?
The printer must support the feature, and its driver and app must expose it. Check Printer properties or Preferences, which is also where you can set the printer to black and white. A basic driver may have fewer options; use the driver instructions in the installation guide above.
Is Print Screen the same as printing?
No. Print Screen captures the display. To put that capture on paper, open the saved image in a suitable app and use its Print command.
Once a small test print looks right, return to the print panel, confirm the destination and settings again, and send the full job.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.