Everyday problem · Program or document

One program won't print, but other programs do

If other programs can print, leave the working printer setup alone for now. The problem is probably in the program or document that fails.

1. Make sure another program really can print

On Windows, print a short page from Notepad or Paint. On a Mac, use TextEdit or Preview.

If that works, stay focused on the problem program.

2. Check which printer the program selected

Open File → Print and make sure the real printer is selected. Watch for an old duplicate printer, Print to PDF, Save as PDF, or another destination.

3. Look at the print preview

Make sure the preview shows the pages you expect. Check the page size, orientation, scaling, and page range.

4. Try another document in the same program

If another file prints, the original file may be the problem. Save a copy or export it to PDF and test that copy if that makes sense for the document.

5. Restart or update the program

Close it completely and reopen it. Use the program's normal trusted update method. If simpler checks fail, follow the software maker's repair steps.

6. Do not reset a printer that works everywhere else

If every other program prints, a factory reset or router reset is unlikely to help and can create a second problem.

Official references

Random symbols or nonsense instead?