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How to print a webpage: every browser, iPhone and Android

Guides · Updated

Step-by-step ways to print a webpage from Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, iPhone and Android, plus how to print the whole page, cut the clutter and save it as a PDF.

Every browser can print, and the shortcut is the same almost everywhere: Ctrl+P on Windows and Linux, Command+P on a Mac. What changes from browser to browser is where the options live, and those options are the difference between a clean printout and twelve pages of menus, ads and empty space.

Below are the exact steps for each browser and phone, then fixes for the usual problems: pages that cut off, pages that print half empty, and pages full of clutter.

The quick version

  1. Open the page you want to print.
  2. Press Ctrl+P (Windows, Linux) or Command+P (Mac).
  3. Look at the preview, choose your printer, and print. To get a file instead of paper, choose Save as PDF as the printer.
  1. Open the page in Chrome.
  2. Press Ctrl+P (Windows, Linux) or Command+P (Mac), or choose File > Print.
  3. Next to Destination, choose your printer, or Save as PDF to make a file.
  4. Open More settings to change paper size, scale and margins, and to turn headers and footers or background graphics on or off.
  5. Click Print (or Save for a PDF).
  1. Open the page in Safari.
  2. Choose File > Print, or press Command+P.
  3. Choose your printer and the pages you want, and check the preview.
  4. Click Print. To make a PDF instead, open the PDF menu at the bottom of the window and choose Save as PDF.

Tip: for articles, turn on Reader first. Click the Reader button in the address bar (the Smart Search field) and choose Show Reader, then print. Safari prints the clean Reader version instead of the full page. The button only appears on pages Reader can show.

  1. Click the menu button (three lines) and choose Print, or press Ctrl+P or Command+P. Firefox opens a print preview.
  2. Next to Destination, choose your printer, or Save to PDF.
  3. Set orientation, the pages you want and color mode.
  4. Open More settings for paper size, scale, margins, two-sided printing, headers and footers, and backgrounds. Under Format, choose Simplified when it is offered: Firefox then strips buttons, ads and background images from the printout.
  5. Click Print.
  1. Open the page in Edge.
  2. Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Command+P (Mac), or open the Settings and more menu (three dots) and choose Print.
  3. Choose your printer, or Save as PDF.
  4. Open More settings for margins, scale, headers and footers, and background graphics.
  5. Click Print.

Edge also has a Reading mode that hides ads and sidebars on articles. Press F9, or click the Reading mode icon in the address bar, to see whether the page has a clean version worth reading.

You need an AirPrint printer on the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone.

  1. Open the page in Safari.
  2. Tap Share. Depending on how your Safari toolbar is set up, Share is either on the toolbar or inside the page menu next to the address bar.
  3. Tap Print. If you don't see it, swipe up.
  4. Tap the printer option and choose your AirPrint printer.
  5. Tap Print.

In Chrome on an iPhone, tap Share, then View more, then Print.

Before you print, two Safari features help. Show Reader (in the page menu) turns an article into plain text and images. Hide Distracting Items (also in the page menu) lets you tap a pop-up, banner or sidebar and hide it from the page.

  1. Open the page in Chrome.
  2. Tap More (three dots), then Share.
  3. Tap Print.
  4. At the top, choose your printer, or Save as PDF. Tap the down arrow to change paper size, orientation and pages.
  5. Tap the print button.

Your phone needs a printer it can reach over Wi-Fi or a mobile network.

Print the whole page when it cuts off

  • Text is cut off on the right. Lower the Scale in the print settings, or switch to landscape. Wide tables almost always print better in landscape.
  • Only part of a long page prints. Some pages load more content as you scroll. Scroll all the way to the bottom first so everything has loaded, then print.
  • The printout is mostly blank, or only the first page prints. Try Reader or Simplified mode, or save the page as a PDF and print the PDF.
  • Colors or highlights are missing. Turn on Background graphics (Chrome, Edge) or Print backgrounds (Firefox).
  • The address and date print at the top and bottom. Turn off Headers and footers.

Cut the clutter before you print

  • Use a reader view. Safari Reader, Firefox's Simplified format and Edge's Reading mode all drop menus, ads and sidebars.
  • Print only what you selected. In Chrome and Edge, select the text you want first; the print window then offers a Selection only option under More settings.
  • Choose pages. If the article ends on page 3 and comments fill pages 4 to 9, type 1-3 in the pages field.
  • Look for the site's own print button. Many recipe and news sites have one that formats the page for paper.

If what you're printing is an article you want to read properly, How to print an article goes further on making it comfortable to read on paper.

Save a webpage as a PDF instead

  • Chrome and Edge: in the print window, set the destination to Save as PDF.
  • Safari on a Mac: in the print window, open the PDF menu and choose Save as PDF.
  • Firefox: set the destination to Save to PDF.
  • iPhone: tap Share, then Markup, then tap Done and choose Save File To.
  • Android: in Chrome's print screen, choose Save as PDF at the top.

A PDF keeps exactly what the preview showed, so it's also a good way to print later or on another computer.

Common questions

Why does my printed webpage look different from the screen?

Websites can give themselves a separate layout for paper, so menus may disappear, colors may change and images may move. Check the print preview before you print; it shows exactly what you'll get.

How do I print a webpage without the address and date on every page?

Open the print settings (More settings in Chrome, Edge and Firefox) and turn off Headers and footers.

Can I print just part of a webpage?

Yes. Select the part you want and choose Selection only in Chrome or Edge, type a page range in the pages field in any browser, or switch to a reader view first so only the article prints.

How do I print a ChatGPT conversation?

Open the conversation and use your browser's print command, or create a share link and print that page. How to print a ChatGPT conversation has the full steps.