Print a Web Page Using JavaScript

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Print a Web Page Using JavaScript

By Joe Burns

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SukaSuka

with updates by HTMLGoodies Editorial Staff

You've probably been on a web page and wanted to print out the page for later reference. Wouldn't it be great to be able to provide visitors to your site to be able to do just that? This tutorial for web developers will show you

how to use JavaScript's window.print function, complete with examples!

The JavaScript window.print() Function

Print is a method of the object "window." At first I thought that the command was simply capturing the buttons

along the top of the browser window so all I had to do was substitute "print" with one of the other items, like

"mail" or "home". No dice. I also tried setting up the same type of format with items found in the menus like

"properties" and "Options." Error after error. It's apparently put into the DTD as a method unto itself.

Saving Grace!

The good thing about the command, the way the authors set it up, is that it does not immediately fire a print. It

actually only fires the print window, which still gives your site's visitors a choice in the matter!


9 6/13/2014



It's then up to the person who triggered the method whether to then continue with the printing or not. That's good

because I can see a ton of problems with printers not being turned on and huge, huge files being set to print.

So, how to you set up the code? Well, try this first and then look at the code:

Click to Print This Page

And here's the code:

<A HREF="javascript:window.print()">Click to Print This Page</A>

The JavaScript is triggered by using the command "javascript:" in place of a URL, thus allowing a hypertext link to fire off the JavaScript.

And before you ask, yep, this will work with almost any JavaScript Event Handler as long as the format allows

you to write it as a specific line or trigger a function.

You can set it to print off of an image:

<A HREF="javascript:window.print()">

<IMG SRC="print_image.gif" BORDER="0"</A>

It looks like this as an image:

And yes, you can set it to trigger off a button:

<FORM>

<INPUT TYPE="button" onClick="window.print()">

</FORM>


9 6/13/2014



It looks like this as a form button:

To make sure that your visitors have JavaScript enabled before you provide them with a button that only works

using JavaScript, you can use JavaScript to print out the button. That way if they have it disabled, no button

appears, saving them the frustration of clicking a button that does absolutely nothing:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">if (window.print) {

document.write('<form><input type=button name=print value="Print" onClick="window.print()"></f

}

</script>

Some Printing Suggestions

Okay, now you have the power to force a print request, but that doesn't mean to simply offer a print on any page.

You should make a point of being helpful to your users.

Make a Page for Printing - The Goodies tutorials, as you can see, have a wavy background, a bunch of

images, and stuff stuck in all over the place. They're not very good for printing. If I was to offer this page

for printing, I would make a point of creating basically a text-only page, or at least a page with limited

images and no background.

Make the Page Printer-Friendly - I would lose all text colors and make sure the width of the page was no

more than 500px, left justified, so that what was shown on the screen would print on the printed page in

the same way.

Allow the User to Choose to Print - My print offering would be text at the bottom or an icon that doesn't

intrude. Everyone knows they can already print your pages without any help from your coding. So, make

this something you offer as a help rather than putting it into people's faces.

Never Attach This to a User Event - Don't set this to an onLoad, or an onMouseOver, or some other user

event. It will only tend to upset those who have visited your page and probably stop them from coming back.

Additionally, there are more detailed methods of printing pages that allow you to separate the content from the

ads, site navigation, etc. This is easier if your content is separate from your site's design, i.e. in a database. We'll

go into those techniques in a later tutorial!

That's That...

There you go. Now you can set up a print request through JavaScript. If used correctly, this is a very nice

addition to a page and a help to the user, so use it wisely and well.

Enjoy!

Test the Code


9 6/13/2014



Make a Comment

mehdisaid on March 9, 2014 at 9:21 pm

Hi, I want to print "paper setup" and "How Many Copy". Please Help me.

Reply

Jeffreysaid on December 31, 2013 at 3:36 am

I am using an "else if" statement to print repeated information. My information is over flowing to next

page and cutting some letters in half between pages. How do I get print to stop when full on one page and

start fresh on a new page.

Reply

Finetunersaid on December 9, 2013 at 9:13 pm

Awesome. Just a line of code! It permits to print a hard copy and make a PDF too, depending on whether a

printer and PDF driver are installed.

Reply

Pichay pumpanyasaid on October 22, 2013 at 11:05 am

Printscreen

Reply

Bobsaid on October 14, 2013 at 1:33 pm

I want to add a print button to allow the person viewing my site to print out a document. What is the code

to complete such a task? Thanks, Bob

Reply

Stefan Wittwersaid on October 14, 2013 at 3:48 am


9 6/13/2014



It works. Thanks you very much!

Reply

sachin naharsaid on August 12, 2013 at 10:33 pm

how to print that page in pdf formate

Reply

angelica galvezsaid on August 4, 2013 at 12:40 am

very nice..perfect one..now i have source for printing...7 weeks to go ..is our defense in our thesis my final

step. thanks 4 this....

Reply

Veereshsaid on April 5, 2013 at 3:32 am

While Taking the print out i want to hide the date and url .. Please any one can help

Reply

Ihsansaid on April 23, 2013 at 12:40 am

As far as I know the URL and date come from the browser. You can disable this easily by switching

to the 'Options' tab on the print window. Print window, as in once you clicked the print button.

There you should be able to set the header and footer to blank (--blank--) each.

Reply

kevinsaid on March 17, 2013 at 2:15 am

thanks a lot for this little tutorial ... helped me a lot

Reply

aisp.tksaid on March 6, 2013 at 7:21 am

thanks for a little tuto....... i realy love it.

Reply

Kevin Johnsonsaid on February 17, 2013 at 1:38 pm

For those asking about modifying the page before printing, you should use CSS print stylesheets. That

way it will print the same way with the builtin print button and your custom made print button.

Reply


9 6/13/2014



Absar Akramsaid on January 26, 2013 at 6:37 am

I am using the same code but need a little modification. I want to exclude the "print" button from printing.

I doesn't look any good to see the "print" button on the printed document. Good Day Absar Akram

Reply

Arun Benchaminsaid on July 15, 2013 at 11:07 am

If you want to hide something,you can use javascript with CSS eg: for hiding print button, <input

type="button" id="p2" value="Print this page"> and use the id to hide your button on print event eg:

function printpage() { document.getElementById("p2").style.display="none"; window.print() }

Reply

Absar Akramsaid on February 25, 2014 at 4:30 pm

Hi, nice suggestion but this way button will hide itself after first click and won't let user click

for second time. let say a printer problem occurs for first time? A better solution will be to usecss specific to print media, something like @media print { .printButton { display: none; } }

Reply

Belmond Joe Candelariasaid on January 20, 2013 at 12:01 pm

The code doesn't work properly....It automatically opens OneNote

Reply

mr_xsaid on March 6, 2013 at 7:23 pm

bro,u should check your print setting.change the printer

Reply

Guysaid on January 31, 2013 at 2:44 pm

That's because OneNote is either your default printer, or the printer you have set up to handle print

requests. Make sure the proper printer is installed on your machine (maybe set it to default) and try

the code again.

Reply

htet paingsaid on October 10, 2012 at 8:06 pm

good work.. well done.. Thank you guys...

Reply

Read More Comments...


9 6/13/2014



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Print a Web Page Using JavaScript