Fix Word for Mac Not Printing While Other Office Apps Work
Question details
The user is unable to print documents from Microsoft Word on a Mac, while other Office applications like Excel and PowerPoint are able to print without any issues.
- Product
- Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Attempting to open the print dialog or send a document to the printer from Microsoft Word.
- Observed behavior
- The Word print menu does not respond, the print dialog fails to open, and the printer receives no request, despite printing functioning normally in other apps.
Before making system changes, ensure you note down your exact macOS version and Microsoft Office version, as specific updates often contain patches for known printer driver conflicts.
Reset the Mac Printing System
Resetting the macOS printing system clears corrupted printer configurations and resets the print modules, which frequently resolves app-specific print queue issues.
This process will remove all existing printers, scanners, and fax machines from your Mac's configuration list. It also deletes pending print jobs and resets all printing preferences to their factory defaults. You will need to re-add your printer after completing these steps.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select 'System Preferences' (or 'System Settings' on newer macOS versions).
Click on 'Printers & Scanners' to view your current list of connected printing devices.
Hold down the Control key and click anywhere in the list of devices on the left side, then choose 'Reset printing system' from the shortcut menu.
Click 'Reset' to confirm. Once finished, click the '+' (Add) button to reconnect and configure your printer.
Update Microsoft Word and Printer Drivers
Check for specific driver incompatibilities by ensuring both the Word application and the printer drivers are running their latest versions.
Print Your Documents Hassle-Free with WPS Office
If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with macOS printing systems, switch to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, free, and highly compatible alternative that perfectly handles your documents without the technical headaches.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Install the free WPS Office application for macOS from the official website.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the .docx file that was failing to print.
- 3. Print Without Errors: Click 'File' and select 'Print' to easily send your document to your configured Mac printer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my printer work with Excel but not with Word on my Mac?
Microsoft Word uses different text rendering and pagination engines compared to Excel or PowerPoint. Corrupted Word-specific preference files or localized bugs in how Word communicates with the macOS print spooler can isolate the issue entirely to Word.
Will resetting the Mac printing system delete my documents?
No, resetting the printing system only clears your printer queues, connected devices list, and active print jobs. Your personal files, PDFs, and Word documents are completely safe and untouched.
How do I quickly print my document if Word is still unresponsive?
As a temporary workaround, you can try saving the Word document as a PDF and printing it through the Mac Preview app. Alternatively, open the .docx file in a free compatible suite like WPS Office and print it from there.
Does reinstalling Microsoft Word fix this print issue?
Reinstalling Word may resolve the issue if the application files themselves are corrupted. However, it is highly recommended to reset the Mac printing system first, as the root cause is typically a miscommunication between Word and the macOS printer configuration.
