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How to Fix Microsoft Word Printing Tables but Not Text on Mac
Question details
The user is experiencing an issue where Word prints only table borders while leaving out the text and other document content on a Mac.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 2019
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Printing a Word document containing both tables and text elements.
- Observed behavior
- The printer outputs the table borders perfectly but completely omits all text and other document contents.
Ensure your printer has sufficient ink and that this is not a hardware issue by printing a simple test page or a document from another application on your Mac, such as Preview or Safari.
Check Mac-Specific Word Print and Hidden Text Preferences
Ensure that your Mac's Word preferences are configured correctly, as the typical Windows 'File > Options' path does not apply here.
Many online troubleshooting guides suggest going to File > Options to check for hidden text, but this path only exists in Windows. On macOS, you must access Word's specific preferences menu to ensure text isn't being hidden during the print spooling process.
With Microsoft Word open on your Mac, click on 'Word' in the top Apple menu bar and select 'Preferences'.
In the Preferences window, click on 'Print' under the Output and Sharing section.
Ensure that settings related to 'Hidden text' are unchecked, and that options to print document properties or drawing objects are set correctly for your needs. Close the menu and try printing again.
Reset the macOS Print Subsystem
If the document appears correctly on screen but prints improperly, the macOS print system or the specific printer driver may be glitching.
Export as PDF and Print via Mac Preview (Workaround)
Save the document as a PDF to bypass Word's internal printing engine entirely.
Use WPS Office for a Flawless Mac Printing Experience
If Microsoft Word for Mac continues to have printing bugs and dropped text, WPS Office is a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative. It natively supports .docx formats and integrates seamlessly with macOS printing subsystems.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for Mac and drag the application into your Applications folder.
- 2. Open Your Document: Right-click your .docx file and select 'Open With > WPS Office' to load your document.
- 3. Print Successfully: Press Command + P to bring up the WPS Print dialog and reliably print your text and tables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do online troubleshooting guides suggest going to File > Options for this issue?
Those instructions are written exclusively for the Windows version of Microsoft Word. On a Mac, the equivalent settings are located under the 'Word' menu by selecting 'Preferences'.
Could this missing text issue be caused by my Epson printer?
If your Epson printer successfully prints text from other applications on your Mac, such as Preview or Safari, the hardware is fine. The issue is likely a communication or rendering error specifically between Word for Mac and the printer driver.
Does changing the font color fix the missing text error on Mac?
Sometimes text formatted with custom system colors or transparencies might not spool correctly to the printer. Try selecting all text (Command + A) and explicitly changing the font color to 'Automatic' or standard Black before printing.
