In this cloud era where information is readily accessible, we have almost become accustomed to communicating between screens. With just a click of the mouse, emails will reach the world in seconds. Email services like Gmail have long become the digital hub of our work and life.
However, there are always moments when we urgently need to transform a virtual email into a tangible and touchable piece of paper. For instance, you need to print out an important meeting email for taking notes during the meeting. Or if you sign your child up for school activities, you need to print and sign the parental consent form sent via Gmail. These experiences remind us that paper mail is still indispensable. And mastering the correct printing method can not only improve efficiency, but also save you time and resources. In this article, we will provide you with a detailed introduction to Gmail printing techniques, helping you easily handle various situations that require paper emails.
Table of Contents
How do You Print an Email in Gmail
You can print an email on any device or system. We will introduce the specific operations separately from desktop computers and mobile devices.
1. Printing from Desktop Computers (Windows & Mac)
For most users, printing on a desktop computer is the most common way. Gmail offers intuitive printing options in web browsers. You can quickly understand the specific operation according to the following video.
- Open Your Email: First, log in to your Gmail account. From the inbox, click on the email you wish to print.
- Find the Print Option: In the upper right corner of the opened email, you will see a line of icons. Look for and click on the printer icon🖨️. This icon is the most direct way to start the printing process.
In addition to clicking the print icon in the email, you can also use other methods to print.
- Use Keyboard Shortcuts: To achieve higher efficiency, you can use the keyboard shortcuts commonly used in the operating system. Press simultaneously on the keyboard:
Ctrl + P (for Windows)
Command + P (for Mac)
This is the fastest way to invoke the print dialog box, and it is applicable on any page in the browser.
- Through the Browser Menu: As an alternative method, you can also click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the browser window, and then select "Print" from the drop-down list.
2. Printing from Mobile Devices (iOS & Android)
It is also very convenient to print Gmail emails from a smart phone or tablet, especially when you are not at your desk.
Print on iPhone or iPad:
- In the Gmail app, open the email you want to print.
- Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen.
- From the pop-up menu, select "Print". The system will guide you to a print interface.
- Click "Select Printer" to select an available AirPrint compatible printer. Make sure your iOS device and printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- After choosing the printer, you can click the "Print" button to complete the task.
Print on Android devices:
- Similarly, open the required email in the Gmail app.
- Click the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
- Select "Print" from the options. The system will display a print preview interface.
- Click the drop-down menu and then select "All Printers" to find your printers.
- After choosing the printer, click the print icon to complete the process.
Essential Settings for Better Printing Results
Simply clicking "Print" usually does not yield the best results. Mastering the print Settings is the key to obtaining clean and professional prints. You can obtain the ideal print by adjusting some specific printing options. The print preview window offers several options to control the appearance of the print output. Here is the explanation of some print settings.
- Layout: You can choose “portrait” or “landscape”. Plain text emails have the best effect when printed in portrait. However, when printing emails containing wide tables or pictures, landscape orientation is very suitable.
- Paper Size: Ensure that the paper size matches the paper you load into the printer. Generally speaking, Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) or A4 (210 x 297 millimeters) sizes are commonly used for printing formal emails. Of course, the size ultimately depends on your needs.
- Margins: Margin is the blank area between the edge of a page and the content. You can choose "Default", "Minimum", “None", or “custom”. If you want to accommodate more content on one page, minimum margin is a great choice. But if you need to leave space for binding, you may need wider margins.
- Scale: This setting allows you to enlarge or reduce the content. If your email is too small when printed, increasing the value (for example, from 100% to 110%) will make the text larger. On the contrary, if the content is truncated, reducing the value can ensure that all the content is accommodated on one page.
- Background Graphics: Many emails have a slight background color or image. Checking "background graphics" will make the printed email exactly the same as the one in your inbox. But this will also consume a large amount of ink or toner. Therefore, you can decide whether to check it based on your own needs.
Advanced Printing Techniques
By following the above steps, you can perform basic printing on emails, which can meet most printing needs. In addition, we also offer some advanced tips to help you handle more complex situations and further enhance your printing skills.
1. Saving Emails as PDF Documents
If you need to print an email without a printer, saving it as a PDF is the next best solution. It offers a perfect copy that is easy to share and archive. And you can send the PDF to a print shop for printing.
Please Note: If the email is very important and needs to be kept confidential, you cannot print it at a print shop. However, saving the email as a PDF can give you a perfect digital copy.
- According to the previous method, open the print preview window.
- In the "Destination" section, instead of selecting the printer, click the button and choose "Save As PDF" or "Microsoft Print to PDF".
- And then click "Save". The system will prompt you to name the PDF file and select the save location on your computer.
2. Printing an Email Without the Header
If you want to print without the header or delete part of the content in the email, you need to perform the relevant operations on your desktop computer. The specific steps are as follows:
- Step 1 Open the Print Preview Window: Open the target email in your browser and click the "Print" icon in the upper right corner. After entering the print preview interface, click "Cancel" at the lower right corner of the pop-up. This can display the content of the email entirely.
- Step 2 Open the Developer Tools: Right-click on the page element you wish to delete (such as the Gmail logo, irrelevant images, etc.), and then select "Check" from the menu.
- Step 3 Delete the Target Element: In the developer tools window that pops up on the right, the corresponding code line will be automatically highlighted. Right-click on the code line again, select "Delete element" or press the “Delete” key on the keyboard, and the element will disappear from the page.
- Step 4 Repeat and Complete the Editing: Repeat the step 2 and step 3 to remove all the information you do not want to appear in the print one by one. After completion, simply close the Developer Tools window on the right.
- Step 5 Perform the Print Operation: On the modified email page, you can freely choose any of the methods we introduced before. (Right-click and select "Print ", use the shortcut key to print, or click the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser and then click “Print”)
If any mistakes occur during the modification process, please don't worry. Just reload the page and it will be restored to its unmodified state. Please rest assured that this method is only a temporary adjustment and will only take effect on the current print preview. It will never modify or affect the original emails in your inbox.
FAQs about Printing an Email in Gmail
1. What should I do if the printing task is stuck in the queue
A stuck print task is a common issue, which can usually be resolved through the following methods:
- Check the Printer Status: Make sure the printer is turned on, online, and there is no paper jam or flashing error lights.
- Restart: A simple restart usually solves the problem. Turn off the printer and computer, wait for 30 seconds, and then restart them.
- Clear the Print Queue: On your computer, navigate to "Settings" > "Devices" > "Printers and Scanners", find your printer, click on it, and then select "Open Queue". Then, you can cancel all stalled tasks and try to print the email again.
- Update the Driver: Outdated printer drivers may cause conflicts. If the above operations can’t solve the problem, you can try to visit the printer manufacturer's website, download and install the latest driver suitable for your model.
2. How can I print an email without the entire conversation thread
If you only need to print one specific email in the entire conversation thread, you can do it in this way:
- In Gmail, open a conversation that contains multiple messages.
- Scroll to the specific reply you want to print.
- In the upper right corner of this specific email block, hover your mouse over and click the three-dot icon (More Options) that appears.
- From the drop-down menu, select "Print". This will only print the email you selected, not the entire conversation thread.
3. How to print the attachments in an email
The attachments will not be printed along with the email. When you print an email with attachments, the output will display the name and icon of the attachment, but not its content. To print the attachments, you must handle each one separately.
- In Gmail, click on the attachment to open it in the browser's previewer.
- Use shortcut keys or the print function within the preview window to print the attachment itself. This ensures that the attachment is printed in its native and correct format.
Conclusion
Paper-based emails can avoid the possible impact of unexpected situations such as network failures and add an extra layer of protection to the content of your emails. Printing an email in Gmail is not just about clicking a button. Having mastered the above methods, you can print out professional emails that meet your expectations by yourself.
You May Also Want to Know:
