Google Docs is a free online word processor where you can create, edit, and share texts. This very convenient web application can have immense benefits while working as a team, as well as having add-ons that can further enhance the usability of the app/doc processor. It is a simple, cloud-based application that has garnered popularity over the past several years. It also enables real-time document collaboration, which can be a time-saver in organizations many times.
Can you print from Google Docs?
The answer is yes! When you have completed working on your document and want to store a hard copy of the same, you can print the document. The steps involved are straightforward, as you do for an MS Word document.
First, open your Google Docs document with the saved name.
Go to File menu – click on Print – check the preview – choose the settings – print
We see that the process is very simple to print a doc. But there are certain cases when printing is not as easy as you saw here. This is when you try to print Google Docs with comments.
Comments on Google Docs
When you work as a team, there are certain procedures followed before a document is finalized. The document is reviewed by certain members of the team.
When any irregularities are found or when they wish to get things clarified, they leave comments on the doc by demarcating specific parts of the document.
Do you know if it is possible to print the doc along with comments if you want to share these comments on a hard copy with your team lead or your teammates?
Though comments are very much present on the doc, it is not possible to print them along. When you click on print, as usual, the print preview shows only the text without the comments.
This is a hurdle when you want to share and discuss the contents of the document with the team. But, there are some remedies for the same, which we will be discussing going forward.
How to print Google Docs with Comments?
There are more than a couple of ways to do this. Let us explore the most prominent, safe, and commonly used method.
By exporting the Google Doc to Word
Exporting the Google Doc to a Word file can solve the issue. By following some simple steps, you can download your document saved in Google Docs
Step 1: Open the saved document from Google Docs.
Step 2: Click on the File menu
Step 3: Click on Download and then choose Microsoft Word (.docx)
Step 4: Save the downloaded word document as you normally do.
Step 5: Open the saved Word document
Step 6: Click on Print and check the preview. It will show you the text along with the comments
Step 7: Print the document
You are good to go with these 7 steps. Sometimes troubleshooting may be required when you are still unable to see the comments in the preview section. In that case, after Step 6, the next would be:
Step 7: On Print preview, select Print All Pages
Step 8: Under Settings, select Print Markup, and you will then be able to see the comments. Proceed to print the document.
Checking on Markup shows Google Docs comments while printing.
Unable to download documents to Microsoft Word?
This may happen if you do not have a licensed version of Microsoft Word. You will just have a read-only option in that case and will not be able to do any edits or print either.
The following is the solution to this situation.
Step 1: Open the saved document from Google Docs
Step 2: Click on File
Step 3: Click on Download and choose OpenDocument Format (.odt)
Step 4: Save the downloaded file.
Step 5: Open the saved document using OpenOffice Writer.
Step 6: Go to the File menu and choose Print. You can see the comments in the print preview.
Step 7: Print the document
Conclusion
With a simple solution, you can easily store all the hard copies of your sensitive documents for future reference. Always make sure that you preview before printing to check if comments are present. This method is safe to use and has found favor among many users. Try it for yourself to make official discussions and collaborations easier.