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What does "Print to File" mean?

Anonymous
2009-11-14T08:57:20+00:00

When I try to print a document I get a dialogue box which asks to fill in a box asks "Print to File"  I do not know what that means and what I am supposed to type in the box.

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  1. Anonymous
    2009-11-14T22:16:38+00:00

    Hi dan leclerc,

    Welcome to Microsoft answers forums!

    Print to a file would appear only when it is enabled.

    Print a document to a file

    Printing a document to a file instead of to your printer saves the document in a format that a different printer can use.

    For example, if you want to have your document printed by a commercial printing service that uses higher-resolution printers, you can print the document to a file, and then take that file to the commercial printer.

    Note: When you print to a file, you must first determine which printer— for example, a PostScript printer— will ultimately print the file.

    1.    On the File menu, click Print.

    2.    In the Name box, click the printer you'll use to print the file.

    3.    Select the Print to file check box, and then click OK.

    4.    In the File name box in the Print to file dialog box, type a file name.

    When you print to a file, Microsoft Word preserves information such as line and page breaks (page break: The point at which one page ends and another begins. Microsoft Word inserts an "automatic" (or soft) page break for you, or you can force a page break at a specific location by inserting a "manual" (or hard) page break.) and font spacing.

    http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HP051894411033.aspx

    You may also, visit the link below to find a community that will offer the support you request.

    http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/FlyoutOverview.mspx

    Thanks and Regards

    Ajay K

    Microsoft Answers Support Engineer


    Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-04-08T10:47:14+00:00

    Your instruction No. .2 above says

    "2.    In the Name box, click the printer you'll use to print the file."

    Clearly, if I am planning to take this to a commercial print shop and get them to print it for me, not only do I not know what type of printer they have (you mention"a Postscript printer" as an example), but that printshop's printer will of course not be listed on my computer. How do I proceed? Do I phone the printshop and ask them? What do I ask them for? The name of their printer on their network? but they will typically have two or three printers, and they won't know which one will be ready when they get round to printing my file. And anyway, when I go to that printshop with my file on a memory stick I will normally be asking to see examples of their work and ask them for a quote before I decide to place my order with them.

    It all seems implausible and impractical to me. There must be something I've still not understood properly.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-01-21T21:36:09+00:00

    Just use simple helpful solutions. I have no idea after reading your long explanation I have nomore idea of how to print a document than I did before.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-03T16:46:06+00:00

    Hello, does Microsoft have humans that work there and help anybody on the phone or what.......

    print to file- please go away so I can print my pdf files??????

    7 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-03T16:44:45+00:00

    Who in the hell can I speak to to correct this problem,,, holy crap

    get rid of print to file, cannot print any pdf files.......why????

    6 people found this answer helpful.
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