Print without comments by using Print Layout view and the right print settings
When you print a Word document, comments stay hidden by default — they do not appear on the physical page. But if you have tracked changes turned on, those edits will print as visible markups unless you turn them off first. The safest approach is to check your document in Print Layout view, confirm tracked changes are off, then print normally.
If you are sharing a document with others before printing, or if you inherited a document with comments already embedded, take a moment to verify what will actually show up on paper. A few clicks in the right place prevent accidentally printing something you meant to keep private.
Key Takeaways
- Comments in Word documents do not print by default, but tracked changes (edits marked with strikethrough and insertions) will print unless you turn them off first.
- Switch to Print Layout view before printing to see exactly what the page will look like on paper, including whether any edits are visible.
- Use the Review tab to turn off "Track Changes" if you see red markups or blue insertions in your document.
- Use Print Preview (File > Print) to confirm no comments or tracked changes appear before you send the document to your printer.
Check your document in Print Layout view first
Open your Word document and look at the View tab at the top. Click Print Layout — this is the view that shows you exactly what will print on paper. Comments appear as small balloons in the margin in other views, but Print Layout hides them automatically.
Scan the document for any red strikethrough text or blue inserted text. These are tracked changes, not comments. Tracked changes will print as visible edits unless you turn them off. Comments themselves — the small boxes with initials and text — will not print, but tracked changes will.
Turn off tracked changes before printing
If you see red strikethrough or blue insertions in your document, go to the Review tab and look for the Track Changes button. It may say "Track Changes" with a checkmark or highlight, meaning it is currently on. Click it to turn it off.
When you turn off Track Changes, Word stops recording new edits, but it does not remove the edits already marked in the document. Those red and blue markups will still be visible. To remove them, click the arrow next to "Track Changes" and select Accept All Changes. This incorporates all the edits into the final text and removes the visible markups.
Use Print Preview to see what will actually print
Go to File and click Print. On the left side, you will see a preview of your document as it will appear on paper. Scroll through this preview and look for any comments, tracked changes, or other marks you do not want printed.
If you see anything unexpected in the preview, close the print dialog and go back to your document. Use the Review tab to accept or reject any remaining changes. Then return to File > Print and check the preview again before printing.
What happens if you print with comments visible in the margin
Word has a setting that can force comments to print as a separate list at the end of the document, but this setting is off by default. Most people will never encounter it. If you want to be certain comments will not print, go to File > Options > Display and look for "Printing Options." Make sure "Print comments" is unchecked.
This setting is rarely the source of accidental printing because Word's default behavior is to hide comments on the printed page. The real risk is tracked changes, which print visibly unless you accept or reject them first.
Removing comments from your document before printing
If you want to delete comments entirely rather than just hide them, go to the Review tab. Click the arrow next to Delete and select Delete All Comments in Document. This removes every comment from the file permanently — you cannot undo this after you save, so only do this if you are certain you do not need them.
If you want to keep comments in your file but just make sure they do not print, you do not need to delete them. straightforward use Print Preview to confirm they are hidden, then print normally.
Sharing a document after printing
If you are printing a document that you will also send to someone else, remember that printing removes nothing from your file. Comments and tracked changes stay in the Word document itself. If you send the file to another person, they will see all the comments and edits you made, even though they did not print.
Before sharing a file with others, decide whether you want them to see your comments and edits. If not, accept all changes and delete all comments, then save the file. If you want to keep a version with your notes for yourself, save a copy first, then clean up the copy you are sharing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do comments print in Word by default?
No. Comments are hidden when you print unless you have specifically turned on the "Print comments" setting in File > Options > Display. Most Word users will never see this setting and comments will not print.
Will tracked changes print if I do not accept them?
Yes. Tracked changes (red strikethrough and blue insertions) will print as visible edits unless you accept or reject them first. Comments will not print, but tracked changes will. Use Review > Accept All Changes to remove them before printing.
Can I print without comments but keep them in my file?
Yes. Comments do not print by default, so you can print normally and the comments will stay in your Word document. Use Print Preview to confirm they are hidden before you print.
What if I accidentally printed comments?
Check your Print settings in File > Options > Display and confirm "Print comments" is unchecked. If it was checked, uncheck it and print again. The comments in your file are still there — you just changed whether they print.
How do I know if my document has tracked changes?
Look at your document in Print Layout view. If you see red strikethrough text or blue inserted text, those are tracked changes. Comments appear as small boxes with initials in the margin. Tracked changes will print; comments will not.