Printing Problems

How to Prevent a Specific Page from Printing in Word by Default

Muhammad Talha Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to keep a revision-history page within a Word document but prevent that specific page from being printed when users execute a standard print command.

How to Prevent a Specific Page from Printing in Word by Default

Product: Word Documents
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Distributing a document or form that contains internal information (like revision history) that should remain digital but excluded from physical hard copies.
Observed behavior: By default, sending a print command prints all pages in the document. The goal is to alter this default behavior to automatically exclude specific sections.

Before you start

Ensure that the Developer tab is enabled in your word processor to access macro functionality, and save a backup copy of your document before applying any VBA scripts.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Section Breaks and a Custom Print Macro

Isolate the non-printable page into its own section and use a macro to control the default printing behavior.

This solution permanently changes how the default Print command works for the specific document or template. By separating the revision history into a new section, you can use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to intercept the print command and instruct it to only print the form sections.

Insert a Section Break

Place your cursor at the end of the content just before the revision history page. Go to the Page Layout tab, click 'Breaks', and select 'Next Page' under Section Breaks.

Open the VBA Editor

Press 'Alt + F11' on your keyboard to open the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor.

Create a New Macro

In the Project Explorer, locate your global template (like Normal.dotm) or your specific document. Right-click it, select 'Insert', and choose 'Module'.

Add the Print Code

Write a VBA script to override the FilePrint and FilePrintDefault commands, setting the 'Pages' parameter to explicitly target your form sections (e.g., Section 1) and ignore the revision section.

Save and Test

Save your document as a Macro-Enabled Document (.docm) or save your global template. Test the print function to ensure the revision page is successfully excluded.

Use Section Breaks and a Custom Print Macro

Macro Security and Distribution: If you share this document, the recipients must have macros enabled on their computers for the custom print behavior to work automatically. Ensure users understand this requirement.

Solution 2

Manually Specify Sections to Print

If you cannot use macros due to security restrictions, you can manually restrict printing to specific sections via the Print dialog.

Smart Document Output

Easily Manage Print Settings and Layouts with WPS Writer

WPS Office provides advanced, user-friendly layout and printing controls, allowing you to seamlessly manage sections, insert breaks, and specify custom print ranges without dealing with complex macro setups.

1. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your document containing the form and the revision history.
2. Insert a Section Break: Navigate to 'Page Layout' > 'Breaks' and select 'Next Page Section Break' right before your revision page.
3. Customize Print Options: Press 'Ctrl + P' to open the Print menu. Under the Page Range section, easily select the specific sections or pages you want to print, bypassing the non-printable history.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word formats (.docx, .doc, .dotm, .docm).Intuitive interface for managing page layouts and section breaks.Advanced custom print dialog to effortlessly select specific pages or sections.Lightweight software with rapid processing speeds for large documents.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide the text instead of using a macro to prevent it from printing?

Yes. You can select the text on the revision page, open the Font settings, and check the 'Hidden' box. By default, hidden text does not print unless 'Print hidden text' is specifically enabled in the application's Print Options.

How do I print multiple specific sections while skipping others?

In the Print dialog's page range box, you can specify sections by typing 's' followed by the section number. For example, typing 's1, s3' will print Section 1 and Section 3, but skip Section 2.

Will macros in Normal.dotm work for other users on different computers?

No, macros saved in the Normal.dotm template only apply to the local computer. To share the macro functionality with others, you must save the macro within the specific document itself as a Macro-Enabled Document (.docm).

Document & File Issues