Unable to print specific pages in Word

Question

I am coming from a forum post from 2022, and the solution provided did not work for me.

I cannot print select pages, I tried the solution from this post and that was not effective. I used this originally because this is my exact issue.

I've got a 62 page document and need to print select pages to PDF to combine at a later point with non-word formattable items.

To say I'm a little stressed about this is an understatement.

Answer 1

If your document has multiple Sections (created by inserting Section Breaks), you may need to specify both the page number and the number of the section in which it appears such as

p2s1-p5s1

Answer 2

Hi Lexi_is,

Thank you for reaching out. My name is Furkaan, a user just like you. I’d be happy to help you with your concerns. Absolutely, there are alternative solutions to print specific pages in Word and achieve your goal of combining them with non-Word formattable items in a PDF later. Here are two options that might be more suitable:

Print to XPS (Windows only):

This method creates a fixed-layout document similar to a PDF but specific to Windows. Go to "File" > "Print". Under "Printer" select "Microsoft XPS Document Writer". In the "Settings" section, choose "Print to File". Give your XPS file a name and location. In the "Pages" section, choose "Current Selection" and highlight the specific pages you want to print. Click "Print". Later, you can use a free PDF converter like Adobe Acrobat Reader DC to convert the XPS file to a PDF. This allows you to combine it with your other non-Word formattable items.

Save Specific Pages as Separate Word Documents:

Open your document in Word. Go to the "View" tab and choose "Navigation Pane". This will show you page thumbnails on the left side. Click and hold the first page you want to print, then drag down to select all the desired pages. Right-click on the selected pages and choose "Copy". Create a new Word document. Right-click anywhere in the new document and choose "Paste". Now you have a separate Word document containing only the specific pages you need. Repeat steps 4-7 for any other page selections you need. Finally, use a free PDF converter to convert each of these smaller Word documents to separate PDFs.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Give back to the Community. Help the next person who has this issue by indicating if this reply solved your problem. Click Yes or No below. Best Regards, Furkaan

Answer 3

Thank you very much. This solves the problem.

Why is printing specific pages this hard?

Why can't the UI be more intuitive?

I don't know.... like maybe.... multiple fields each for page and section perhaps?

If it is necessary, why don't just make it explicit instead of this cryptic syntax of defining specific pages?

Ugh, Microsoft!

It feels like I'm using freeware software developed by community.

Unacceptable.

Answer 4

Why is printing specific pages this hard?

Why can't the UI be more intuitive?

I don't know.... like maybe.... multiple fields each for page and section perhaps?

If it is necessary, why don't just make it explicit instead of this cryptic syntax of defining specific pages?

I realize that you questions may be rhetorical, but nobody in the forums can answer "why" questions—only Microsoft. You can send feedback via Help > Feedback.

The p#s# syntax has been around for years. If you display the "Section" number as well as "Formatted page number" it will help you remember the syntax. Right-click the status bar and click to select those options.