'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
How to Print Word Revision Bars Without Printing Comments
Question details
The user wants to print a Microsoft Word document that displays revision bars for tracked changes without including the comments in the printed output.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Preparing a document with tracked changes and comments for physical printing where only the margin revision bars are required.
- Observed behavior
- By default, printing a document with markup may print both the revision bars and the comments. The user needs to isolate the revision bars for the print layout.
Ensure that Track Changes is enabled and your document actually contains both tracked revisions and comments before adjusting the print settings.
Configure Show Markup Options Before Printing
The most direct method is to disable comments in the Show Markup menu while keeping tracked changes visible.
Microsoft Word allows you to customize which elements of markup are displayed and printed. By deselecting comments from the display options, Word will exclude them from the printed document while retaining the revision bars.
Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the main Word ribbon.
Click on 'Show Markup' in the Tracking group and click on 'Comments' to clear the checkmark and hide them.
Click the dialog box launcher in the Tracking group to open 'Advanced Track Changes Options'. Configure insertions, deletions, moves, and table changes as needed to ensure only margin bars display.
Go to 'File' > 'Print'. Review the print preview window to confirm that only the revision bars appear without the comments, then click 'Print'.
Hide Insertions and Deletions in Advanced Options
Adjust the advanced tracking options to hide specific types of inline edits if you only want the revision bars visible in the margins.
Disable Modern Comments
If modern comments are causing display or printing issues, you can revert to classic comments to make them easier to hide.
Print Documents with Revision Bars in WPS Writer
WPS Office offers a fully compatible and intuitive way to manage tracked changes. You can easily customize markup visibility to hide comments and print only the revision bars.
- 1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing tracked changes and comments.
- 2. Navigate to the Review Tab: Click on the 'Review' tab located on the top navigation ribbon.
- 3. Hide Comments: Click the 'Show Markup' dropdown menu and uncheck the 'Comments' option to hide them from view.
- 4. Print with Revision Bars: Go to Menu > Print. Verify in the print preview that only the revision bars are shown, then proceed to print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my comments still printing even after I hid them?
If comments still appear on the printed page, ensure that 'Print Markup' is disabled under the Print Settings dropdown, or double-check that 'Comments' is fully unchecked in the 'Show Markup' menu on the Review tab.
Can I print a document showing only the list of comments?
Yes, Microsoft Word allows you to print just the markup. In the Print menu, click on the first dropdown under Settings (usually 'Print All Pages') and select 'List of Markup' to print the tracked changes and comments without the main document text.
What exactly are revision bars in Word?
Revision bars are the vertical lines that appear in the left or right margin of a document. They indicate that a tracked change—such as an insertion, deletion, or formatting edit—has been made on that specific line, allowing readers to quickly spot edits.
