You want to print a recipe you found online. You hit Print, and the result is twelve pages. The actual recipe is on page two — the rest is ads, a navigation bar, a sidebar with recommended articles, a comments section, and a footer full of links. You wasted ten sheets of paper for one page of content.
Web pages are designed for screens, not printers. They include navigation, ads, sidebars, and other elements that are useful when browsing but useless on paper. Most browsers print all of this by default unless you tell them not to.
The simplest fix: reader mode
Most browsers have a reader mode that strips away everything except the main text and images. It removes ads, navigation bars, sidebars, and other clutter, leaving just the article.
Safari: Click the reader mode icon in the address bar (it looks like four horizontal lines). Then print.
Firefox: Click the reader mode icon in the address bar. Then print.
Chrome: Chrome does not have a built-in reader mode, but you can use the “Simplified” print option (see below).
Reader mode works best on articles, blog posts, and other text-heavy pages. It does not work well on pages with complex layouts, like shopping sites or dashboards.
Using print preview
Before you print, always check the print preview. This shows you exactly what will come out of the printer.
On most browsers: Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on Mac) to open the print dialog. The preview shows how many pages will print and what each page looks like.
If the preview shows more pages than you expect, look for options to reduce the output:
- Change the page range. If the article is on pages 2–4, print only those pages instead of all twelve.
- Remove headers and footers. Most browsers add the page URL and date at the top or bottom of each page. Look for an option to disable these.
- Switch to “Simplified” layout. Some browsers offer a simplified or reader-friendly print layout that removes clutter.
Selecting specific content to print
If you only want to print part of a page — one section of a long article, a single recipe from a page with three recipes, or a specific table — you can print just the selected text:
Step 1: Select the text you want to print by clicking and dragging your mouse over it.
Step 2: Open the print dialog (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P).
Step 3: Look for an option that says “Selection only” or “Print selection.” This tells the browser to print only the highlighted text.
This works in most browsers and is useful when you need a specific section from a long page.
Saving to PDF instead of printing
If you do not need a paper copy, saving a web page as a PDF is often better. A PDF keeps the content in a clean, portable format that you can read on any device, share with others, or print later.
To save as PDF:
Step 1: Open the print dialog (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P).
Step 2: In the printer selection, choose “Save as PDF” instead of your physical printer.
Step 3: Choose where to save the file.
PDFs are especially useful for receipts, confirmations, and reference articles you want to keep. They do not expire, they do not change if the website updates, and they do not require an internet connection to read.
Pages that do not print well
Some web pages are not designed to be printed at all:
Pages with login walls. If a page requires you to log in, the printed version might show a login prompt instead of the content.
Pages with dynamic content. Pages that load content as you scroll — like social media feeds or infinite-scroll articles — might only print what is visible on screen.
Pages with embedded videos or interactive elements. These cannot be printed. You will get a blank space or a broken image where the video was.
For these pages, try reader mode first. If that does not work, consider taking a screenshot of the content you need and printing the screenshot instead.
Reducing ink and paper waste
A few small changes can save paper and ink:
Print in draft or economy mode. Most printers have a draft mode that uses less ink. The text is slightly lighter but still readable. This is fine for personal reference copies.
Print double-sided. If your printer supports it, printing on both sides of the paper cuts your paper use in half.
Print in black and white. Color printing uses more ink. If you do not need color, switch to grayscale in the print settings.
Check the page count before printing. If the preview shows fifteen pages and you only need two, adjust the page range or use reader mode before hitting Print.
Related guides
- How to Save a Web Page as a PDF — saving web content in a portable format
- How to Bookmark Important Web Pages — saving pages for later instead of printing them
- How to Make Text Easier to Read on a Screen — making web content easier to read without printing