Printing Problems

How to Print a Word Document Directly Instead of Saving as PDF

Partner Editor Oct 10, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user wants to print a Word document directly to a physical printer but the system forces them to save it as a PDF file instead.

How to Print a Word Document Directly Instead of Saving as a PDF

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to print a document to paper without altering the original file or generating an intermediate PDF.
Observed behavior: The print request is either converting the document into a PDF in Word Online or prompting a 'Save Print Output As' dialog box.

Before you start

Ensure your physical printer is powered on, properly connected to your device via USB or Wi-Fi, and has the correct printer drivers installed.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Desktop Application Instead of Word Online

Word Online automatically converts print requests to PDF. Switching to the desktop application bypasses this limitation.

Browsers cannot natively render document formats to local printers with precise formatting guarantees. To solve this, web-based tools like Word Online generate a high-quality PDF that you can then print.

To print directly without this intermediate step, you need to use the full desktop application, which has direct access to your system's print spooler.

Open Desktop App

Click the 'Viewing' or 'Editing' button on the Word Online ribbon, and select 'Open in Desktop App'.

Access the Print Menu

Once the document opens in your desktop Word application, click on 'File' in the top-left corner and select 'Print'.

Print the Document

Ensure your physical printer is selected and click the large 'Print' button to send the job directly to the device.

Use the Desktop Application Instead of Word Online

App Required: This solution requires you to have the Microsoft Word desktop application or an alternative like WPS Office installed on your computer.

Solution 2

Change the Selected Printer in the Print Dialog

Verify that a virtual PDF printer isn't mistakenly selected as the active printer.

Solution 3

Change the Default Printer in Windows Settings

Set your physical printer as the system default so Word doesn't automatically default to a virtual PDF printer.

Direct Printing Solution

Print Word Documents Directly with WPS Office

WPS Office is a full-featured, lightweight office suite that opens Microsoft Word documents natively and allows you to print directly to your physical printer without forced PDF conversions.

1. Open in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your Word document using WPS Writer.
2. Access Print Settings: Go to the 'Menu' at the top left corner and click 'Print', or simply press 'Ctrl+P'.
3. Select Printer and Print: Choose your physical printer from the Name dropdown and click 'OK' to print directly.

Direct printing to local and network printersHighly compatible with Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) formatsLightweight application that loads documents instantlyFree to download and easy to use

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word Online force me to save as a PDF to print?

Web browsers cannot natively communicate with local printers to guarantee exact document formatting. To ensure the physical printout matches the digital layout perfectly, Word Online generates a high-fidelity PDF file for the browser to print.

How do I stop the 'Save Print Output As' dialog box from appearing?

This dialog box appears when a virtual printer (like Microsoft Print to PDF) is selected. You can stop this by pressing Ctrl+P and changing the selected printer in the dropdown menu to your actual physical printer before hitting Print.

Can I print directly from my mobile phone without saving as a PDF?

Yes, if you use a dedicated application like the WPS Office mobile app or the Word app, you can print directly over Wi-Fi Direct or through network print services (like Apple AirPrint), provided your physical printer is on the same network.

What if my physical printer is not showing in the Word print list?

If your printer is missing, verify its physical connection (USB cable or Wi-Fi), ensure it is turned on, and check your computer's OS settings to confirm that the proper printer drivers are installed and recognized by the system.

Document & File Issues