Cannot print sent email

Question

In Outlook, I cannot print emails I have sent. I can print ones I received, both individually and as a whole conversation (including sent emails that are part of that conversation). But if I open an email I sent, when I try to print it, no preview appears. The printer will say it is printing, but nothing comes out.

Answer 1

we tried all the things AI suggested, but still have the problem. We can print other email items and documents from other apps with no problem, just not the sent mails in Outlook

Answer 2

In classic Outlook for Windows, printing a sent email uses the same print pipeline as printing received messages, so the behavior described usually indicates a printer or Windows print subsystem issue rather than an Outlook feature limitation.

Use these steps to troubleshoot:

1. Verify the printer selection in Outlook
   1. Open one of the sent emails that will not print.
   2. Select File > Print.
   3. In the Print pane, confirm that a real hardware printer is selected, not Microsoft Print to PDF or Microsoft XPS Document Writer. If a virtual printer is selected, switch to the physical printer and try again.
2. Test printing from other apps and other Outlook items
   1. In Word or another Office app, select File > Print and print a test page.
   2. In Outlook, open a received email and print it.
   3. If those print correctly but sent items do not, continue with the next steps; if nothing prints, focus on fixing the printer/driver first (see step 4).
3. Use Outlook’s standard print dialog on a sent item
   1. Open a sent email in its own window.
   2. Select File > Print > Print Options.
   3. Confirm the correct printer is selected and that the Page range is set to print all pages (or the pages needed).
   4. Select Print and see if anything is queued or printed.
4. Check Windows printing and printer configuration If the printer reports “printing” but nothing comes out, or if Outlook appears to send the job but the printer does nothing, use Windows tools to verify the printer:
   1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
   2. Select the affected printer and ensure it is Online and set as Default if desired.
   3. If the printer is present but not working, remove and reinstall it:
      • Select the printer, choose Remove, and confirm.
      • Download and install the latest driver for the printer from the manufacturer’s site.
      • Go back to Printers & scanners and select Add device to reinstall the printer.
   4. If prompted to save instead of printing, ensure the selected device is not a virtual printer (such as Microsoft Print to PDF). If it is, switch to the hardware printer.
5. Restart the Print Spooler and clear stuck jobs If print jobs from Outlook appear to send but never complete, the Windows Print Spooler may be stuck:
   1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Find Print Spooler, right‑click it, and select Restart.
   3. After restart, try printing the sent email again.
6. Workaround: print via browser or image capture if needed If sent items still will not print directly but received messages and other apps work, use a workaround while continuing to investigate the printer/driver:
   • Open the sent email, use File > Print > Print Options and verify a preview appears; if not, use View in Browser (if available for that message type) and print from the browser.
   • As a last resort, capture the message on screen (for example with Snipping Tool) and print the captured image.

If none of the above resolves the issue, collect details such as whether other applications can print reliably, whether other user profiles on the same PC can print sent items, and whether the issue occurs with a different printer, then use those details when contacting Outlook or printer support.

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References:

• Print attachments received in email messages
• Print a page or part of an email message
• Print emails showing Bcc recipients
• Print messages, calendars, or other Outlook items
• Basic tasks in Outlook 2010
• Print command results only in an invitation to save. - Microsoft Q&A
• My printer won't connect and I'm unable to print anything - Microsoft Q&A
• Outlook Printing Problem - Microsoft Q&A
• Uncommanded Printer Operation - Microsoft Q&A
• Recent Microsoft Edge update causing printer issues - Microsoft Q&A