Also in the Page Setup settings are the measurements for the margins. Margins are the blank space around the edge of a page. This defines the area where your content can be placed. Similar to a picture in a frame, a good margin size provides a visual break and helps make your content look organized and professional. Margins are set at 1 inch on each side by default. You can change this setting but be careful, you may disrupt how the content prints or is viewed if you make them too big or too small. 

The Printing Process

When you’re ready to print your document the easiest way is to click the little printer icon in the top ribbon. You can also go to File → Print or use the hotkey “Ctrl-P”. This causes a dialogue box to appear with your printing options. The first option is usually the printing destination. This is where you will choose what printer or network will receive the print request. Depending on what kind of device you’re using, you may have a few different options.

Printing Methods

The first, and most commonly known, printing method is local printing. This is where your device is directly connected to a printer usually through a USB cable. This method of printing is typically fast, reliable, and secure since there is no need to be connected to an external network. It is limited in its use, since you can only print from the connected device.

When you have multiple computers on a single network all using the same printer, this is called network printing. This is usually utilized in an office setting, where there is a central printer or copy machine in a centralized room that all the surrounding employees use. As long as the device is on the same network as the printer, you can print from that device. Network printers usually require some kind of verification to release the print jobs. For most jobs this is in the form of a security badge or log-in credentials.

The final printing method uses the cloud. Cloud printing is where the printer is connected to the internet, and you can send print jobs to it from anywhere with an internet connection, even if you’re not on the same network. This method works very well for printing from a mobile device where local or network printing isn’t viable. However, this method is internet dependent. Without a stable connection with both the device and the printer, you’re not getting your work.

Other Printing Options

Once you have determined your printing method, there are other options available for you to customize your final printed material. If the document consists of multiple pages you can select which ones you want to include, and if you want them to print double sided, with content on both sides of the page, or not. Most of the settings you don’t want to change; trust the defaults unless you really know what you’re doing. Use the print preview window in the dialogue box to confirm your settings are correct before clicking print.