Complete Guide to Printing Selected Pages in Microsoft Word on Windows, macOS, and Online

Why Print Only Certain Pages?

Printing a full document often wastes paper and time, especially when only a few pages are needed for review, reference, or distribution. Microsoft Word provides precise controls that let users print the current page, a custom range, selected text, or entire sections. The following guide outlines each method for the Windows desktop client, the macOS version, and the browser‑based Word for the Web.

Printing Specific Pages on Windows

Access the Print Dialog

Begin by opening the File menu and choosing Print, or press Ctrl + P. The Print pane appears on the right side of the window.

Set Custom Page Ranges

Locate the Settings section where the default option reads “Print All Pages.”
Click the dropdown and select Custom Print.
In the Pages box, type the desired pages or ranges:

Individual pages: 1, 3, 5
Continuous range: 2-6
Mixed selection: 1, 3-5, 8
From a start page to the end: 50-
From the beginning to a specific page: -50
Specific sections (if the document uses sections): p1s2-p3s2 or s1, s3

Additional Options

Select Print Current Page to output only the page displayed in the preview.
Highlight text in the document and choose Print Selection to print just that excerpt.

Finalize Printing

After confirming the page numbers, choose the target printer and press Print. Word sends the job with the exact pages specified.

Printing Specific Pages on macOS

Open the Print Dialog

From the File menu, select Print**, or use the shortcut Cmd + P. The macOS print sheet appears.

Specify Pages or Ranges

In the “Pages” section, choose one of the following:

Current Page – prints the page shown in the Quick Preview.

From…To – enter the first and last page numbers for a consecutive range (e.g., 1 to 3).

Page Range – type individual pages and ranges separated by commas (e.g., 3, 4-6).

Alternatively, click thumbnails in the sidebar to select pages visually.

Preview and Print

Use the navigation arrows at the bottom of the preview pane to verify each page. Adjust copy count, layout, or other printer settings, then click Print**.

Printing Specific Pages in Word for the Web

Navigate to the Print Feature

Choose File ► Print. A preview window opens, displaying navigation arrows for page‑by‑page scrolling.

Enter a Custom Range

The web print dialog includes a field for page numbers. Replace the default “Print All Pages” with the desired range, using commas for separate pages and hyphens for ranges (e.g., 2, 4-7, 10).

Complete the Print Job

Set the number of copies and any additional preferences, then click the Print button. If the browser requires a PDF download first, save the file and send it to the printer from a PDF‑compatible application.

Tip: For large documents with many sections, printing by section often reduces the need to count individual pages. Use the section syntax (e.g., s2 for all pages in section 2) in the Windows custom print box to target sections directly.

Best Practices for Efficient Printing

Verify the selected printer supports duplex printing to save paper.

Preview the job before confirming to avoid mis‑aligned pages.

When printing selections, ensure the highlighted text does not span partial pages unless that is intended.

Save frequently used page ranges as a preset in the printer driver, if supported.

By following these platform‑specific steps, users can quickly print only the content they need, conserving resources and improving workflow efficiency.