Print a document

You can print any document in Docs, or save it as a PDF, directly from the editor. Docs opens the document as a PDF in a new tab, and you print from there.

Print the document

1. Open the document you want to print.
2. Click File in the toolbar and choose Print, or press ⌘P (Ctrl+P on Windows and Linux).
3. A new tab opens and shows the document as a PDF once it's ready.
4. Use the print button of your browser's PDF viewer, or press ⌘P (Ctrl+P) in that tab. Pick your printer and settings, then click Print.

When the PDF leaves something out, a message in the document's tab says so, for example "1 header or footer was cut to fit."

The printout uses the document's page. A new document is A4 with 2 cm margins. To change the paper size, orientation, or margins, choose File → Page setup… (see Set the paper size, orientation, and margins). Headers, footers, and page numbers print too. See Add headers, footers, and page numbers. An image behind or in front of the text near the end of a page can be cut off at the paper's edge, or left out, since it doesn't continue on the next page.

When Docs prints from the browser instead

Docs can't make the PDF while you're offline or before your latest edits have been saved, or if your browser blocks the new tab. It then opens your browser's print dialog with the document as the editor shows it, and a message says it prints without headers and footers. The same happens if the PDF fails. If the PDF never works on your server, ask your administrator to check the server setup.

Save as PDF

The new tab already shows a PDF. Use the download or save button of your browser's PDF viewer to keep it.

You can also choose File → Download → PDF (.pdf). For a Word file or a web page, see Export to Word, PDF, or HTML.