Printing Problems

How to Disable Markup Area Shading in Word Printouts

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is trying to print a Word document without the grey shading in the markup area (tracked changes or comments), but the setting is unavailable.

How to Disable Markup Area Shading in Word Printouts

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing a document that contains active tracked changes or comments while trying to maintain a clean white background in the margins.
Observed behavior: Word forces a shaded background in the markup area during printing, and the specific setting to disable this highlighting is missing or disabled in some versions.

Before you start

Check if your Microsoft Office suite has any pending updates, as layout and printing glitches are sometimes resolved in the latest version patches.

Solution 1Recommended

Submit a Request via Microsoft Feedback Portal

Since the ability to disable markup shading is missing in certain Word versions, reporting the issue directly to Microsoft helps prioritize a future fix.

In some iterations of Microsoft Word, the option to turn off markup area shading is natively disabled or completely missing. The most effective official route to restore this feature is by raising its visibility to the development team.

Use the in-app feedback tool

Open Microsoft Word, navigate to the 'Help' tab on the ribbon, and select 'Feedback'. Choose 'Report a Problem' and detail the issue regarding markup-area shading on printed documents.

Visit the online portal

Go to the Microsoft Feedback Portal at https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback in your web browser.

Submit or vote

Search for 'markup area shading' to see if others have reported it and upvote their post, or create a new suggestion so other affected users can vote for it.

Submit a Request via Microsoft Feedback Portal

Solution 2

Print the Document Without Markup

If you do not strictly need the comments and revisions visible on the printed page, you can bypass the shading bug by printing a clean version.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Print Documents Flawlessly with WPS Office

If you are frustrated by missing settings and unresolvable printing bugs in Microsoft Word, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free Office suite that gives you complete control over document formatting and printing, without forced background shading.

1. Download and install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and follow the easy installation prompts.
2. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document containing the tracked changes.
3. Print with full control: Navigate to Menu > Print to easily manage how your comments and markup are displayed on paper.

Seamless format compatibility with Microsoft Word documents (.docx, .doc).Accurate Print Preview ensures what you see on screen is exactly what prints.Free, lightweight, and features a familiar user interface for zero learning curve.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word add a gray background to the markup area?

Word adds shading to visually distinguish the tracked changes, formatting bubbles, and comments from the main document text. However, the inability to turn this off in some versions is recognized as an application limitation.

Can saving the document as a PDF remove the shading?

Usually, saving as a PDF uses the same print layout engine as standard printing. If the shading appears in the Print Preview, it will likely appear in the exported PDF unless you turn off 'Print Markup' entirely.

Is there a specific version of Word where this feature is broken?

This issue is frequently reported in specific builds of Office 365 and Word 2019 where interface updates inadvertently removed or disabled the legacy shading toggle options.

Document & File Issues