How to Remove the Word Markup Area When Printing Revisions on Mac
Question details
The user needs to prevent the shaded markup area from appearing when printing a document with tracked changes in Word for Mac.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Printing a document that contains tracked changes and revisions, particularly documents with modified or deleted table cells.
- Observed behavior
- Word for Mac continues to print the shaded markup area on the side of the document even when the 'Show All Revisions Inline' setting is actively selected.
Check your document's tracked changes history for any deleted table cells, as this specific revision type is a known trigger for this formatting bug.
Accept the Problematic Table Cell Revisions
Since the issue is triggered by a specific bug regarding deleted table cells, accepting that exact revision clears the persistent markup area.
Word for Mac has a known behavior where a deleted-table-cells revision forces the markup area to remain visible on the printed page, bypassing your inline-revisions settings. Manually resolving this specific change will restore normal printing.
Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the ribbon and click on 'Reviewing Pane' to see all active tracked changes in your document.
Scroll through the revisions and look for any changes involving deleted table cells or formatting changes within tables.
Right-click the deleted-table-cells revision and select 'Accept Change' to integrate it into the document.
Go to the 'Markup Options' dropdown under the Review tab, select 'Balloons', and click 'Show All Revisions Inline'.
Press Cmd + P to open the Print dialog and verify in the preview that the markup area has successfully been removed.
Update Word and Report the Behavior
If resolving the table revisions does not work, updating your software or reporting the bug ensures Microsoft is aware of the persistent issue.
Experience Bug-Free Document Printing with WPS Office
If persistent Microsoft Word for Mac bugs are disrupting your workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible word processing experience that accurately renders tracked changes and prints exactly what you see on the screen.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Get the free WPS Office suite for your Mac from the official website and install it.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file directly without any format conversion.
- 3. Print Without Issues: Adjust your revision viewing settings and print reliably without lingering markup glitches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the markup area still print when I have hidden it?
In Word for Mac, a known bug related to deleted table cells forces the shaded markup area to remain active during printing, even if you have selected the option to show all revisions inline.
Can I simply accept all changes to fix the printing issue?
Yes, clicking 'Accept All Changes' from the Review tab will clear all tracked history, including the problematic table cell revisions, entirely removing the markup area from the printed page.
How do I temporarily print without any tracked changes showing?
You can go to the Print dialog and change the 'Print What' setting from 'Document showing markup' to just 'Document'. This prints the final version of the text without displaying any revision margins.
