> PC with Internet Explorer or Netscape

There may come a time when you will want to print out the page you are viewing or a portion of it. There are several methods of printing depending on what browser, operating system, and type of computer you are working on, as well as if the page you are viewing uses frames. Frames is when the browser window divides itself up into sections to show different pages at once. You can view this page for more information on how frames works in web browsers.

Materials Needed

Your Windows-based PC and either the Netscape or Internet Explorer Browser.

Check it out!
Printing a page without frames

There are several methods of printing from Internet Explorer and Netscape. These methods are the same for all versions of Windows Netscape.

If you would like to print out the entire page, you may click the print button that is on the tool bar with the back and forward buttons. This will automatically print one copy of the entire web page.

If you would like to print more than one copy, or otherwise change how your page prints out, you must open up the print dialogue box. On your menu bar, left-click on the [FILE] menu, and then click [PRINT]. The print dialogue box opens and you may change how your document prints. When finished, click the [PRINT] button at the bottom of the dialogue box.

You may also use a keyboard shortcut or a right-click (Internet Explorer users only) to open up the print dialogue box. On the keyboard, press Control+P, which opens up the print dialogue box. Using the mouse in Internet Explorer, right-click on any part of the page that is not a hyperlink, and choose Print.

Printing a selection of a page

If you would only like to print a portion of a document, such as a paragraph or a diagram, you must first highlight that portion of the page with your mouse. Once it is highlighted, you must open the print dialogue box to change your print settings.

Click on the [FILE] menu, and then click [PRINT]. In the dialogue box, there will be a section called "Print Range". If you have a selection highlighted on your page, the option for Selection will be available (it will not be available if there is no selection highlighted). Click on the circle next to it and then click the [PRINT] button.

You may also hit Control+P on the keyboard, or (Internet Explorer users only) right-click anywhere on the page with the mouse and choose print to bring up the print dialogue box.

Printing pages with frames

Some of the pages you will find will actually be several pages divided up into window frames. If the page you want to print from is in a frame, you must decide whether you only want to print one of the frames, each of the frames individually, or print everything as it is exactly laid out on the screen.

• To print just one of the frames, you must first make it the "active frame". To do this, simply click anywhere on the page in that frame, and that frame will be the active frame. o To print just the active frame, open up the print dialogue (Control+P on the keyboard, right-click..print on the mouse, (Internet Explorer users only), or [File]..Print in the menu). o In the section of the page called "Print Frames", choose the only the selected frame option and click the print button.
• To print the entire page just as it appears on the screen, simply open up the print dialogue box (Control+P on the keyboard, right-click..print on the mouse(Internet Explorer users only, or [File]..Print in the menu) and select the option that says as laid out on the screen and click the print button.
• To print out each frame individually as a batch, in the print dialogue box, choose the option all frames individually. Alternately, you may also click on the Print button in the toolbar at the top of the browser

Printing from Netscape Communicator for Microsoft Windows

Netscape Communicator functions slightly differently than Internet Explorer or Netscape 6. For example, it is not possible to print the entire layout of frames as they appear on the screen. Communicator likewise does not have a right-click print option, meaning it is necessary to open the print dialogue box through the [FILE] menu, clicking the Print button in the tool bar, or hitting Control+P on the keyboard.

A few things to remember when printing from Netscape Communicator

• When you want to print from a page with frames, you cannot print out a whole batch of frames or the entire layout as it appears on the screen. You can only print out the active frame, so remember to click on the frame you want to print before you print.
• Neither Netscape Communicator nor Netscape 6.0 allow you to pull up the print dialogue box using a right-click on the mouse. You must either use the [FILE] menu, Control+P on the keyboard, or hit the Print button on the toolbar (in Netscape 6, the print button is the printer icon next to the address bar in the upper-right part of the browser window).
• Printing a selection of a page, such as a paragraph, is the same procedure as in Netscape 6 and Internet Explorer.

Scaling a Web Page for Print

Occasionally, you may want to print a page at a size smaller than what is displayed on the screen. This is called scaling. On a PC, you cannot scale a document for print unless your computer's printer has software that allows scaling. Contact your network administrator, lab attendant, or refer to the documentation on your printer software to determine if your printer supports scaling and for instructions on how to scale your webpage for print.

Try it!

• Try out the different methods of printing described above.
• Explore the software that may have come with your printer-see what print options are open to you as a result.
• What method is easiest for you and still prints the content you want?
• Experiment by printing different portions of a page.