Controlling the way a Browser Prints

Here are some examples: I will only use the setting in Firefox and Internet Explorer for now.

Preventing URL’s (Internet page) from printing at the bottom of a page printed from a website.
You can prevent the URL’s (or any other item) from printing from most (if not all browsers). In Firefox click on File | Page Setup | Margins & Headers/Footer. When the screen appears change the drop downs to print what you want, or remove items you do not want to see. In Internet Explorer, click on File then Page Setup. This is where you can make changes to the Headers and Footers section. There are other settings that will affect the way your page prints and looks. Some of these setting are as follows:

In Firefox you can also set other parameters that are under Header & Footer. You will need to use the drop down menus provided. Left, center, and right parameters can also be set. The Format & Options tab will give you even more choices. The only problem with changing these is you may need to go back to the original settings for some reason. Therefore it is a good idea to keep track of the way it was when you started. You may get angry if you can not figure out how it was set up to start with.

In Internet Explorer you also have many choices except there is only one page instead of two. I feel this is good. There are numerous header and footer settings using the drop down menus. You can also set margins, select the type of paper you are printing on, portrait or landscape, print background colors & images, and if to shrink to fit.

Again, care should be taken when changing any setting. At least write down what the original setting was. This is especially true if more than one person uses the computer. Maybe the next person wants something different. In any case you can waist a lot of paper (and time) if it does not print the way you want it or need it.

Also remember that the type of font you use and if it is bold or italics will also affect how your page looks and how many words you can get on a page.

Another factor is that not all web sites are set up to print like you want them to. You will find some sites that have a button that you can click for a printable version of what you want.

Advertisement problems
Many web sites have advertising on them. Some times you can turn these off. As an example: Map-quest will let you turn them off when you print. However, the main thing is to do a print preview. This not only shows you what will print but how many pages will print. Sometimes it is shocking how many pages will print. PDF files usually have a large number of pages to print. Browsers normally have setting that will let you turn off certain content. The problem with that is some pages will not load at all or you can not see ads, pictures or content you want to see.