The Problem:
Back when the dinosaurs were staggering to extinction, I used to edit manuscripts on paper in the evenings, often with a horn of mead and a dino-drumstick to crunch on. Old habits die hard, and in Word 2, I used to print what it called "drafts"manuscripts with minimal formattingfor editing manually. I'd like to try that again, with Gewrz and chicken wings now that the kids are asleep, but the option seems to have disappeared.
The Solution:
Draft output hasn't actually disappeared in recent versions of Word; it's just hidden. Choose Tools » Options, click the Print tab, and check the "Draft output" box. Be warned that not all printers support draft output, so you may not succeed. But it's worth a try.
Turn Off Background Printing
The Problem:
When I print a long document, Word 2003 seems to bog down completely. The hourglass cursor disappears, and I can click in the Word window, but Word takes an eon to register each character I type.
The Solution:
It sounds as though you've got background printing turned on. Background printing (in theory) lets you get working again in Word more quickly, but it takes more memory, so if your computer is struggling to run Word and print, it's best to turn off background printing. To do so, choose Tools » Options, click the Print tab, uncheck the "Background printing" box, and then click the OK button. When you print a long document, get up and stretch, shadowbox with the watercooler, or bug your colleagues for a few minutes, rather than watching the document print.
Print in Reverse Order
The Problem:
I'm pretty much cool on printing, except that I have to run the printouts through our copier in reverse order to get the copies into the right order for stapling. (No, I don't understand our copier either.) It would be handy if Word offered a setting for this.
The Solution:
It does, but not in the main Print dialog box. Choose File » Print, click the Options button, and check the "Reverse print order" box on the Print tab. (If this dialog box looks familiar, that's because it's the Print tab of the Options dialog box in drag.) Click the OK button to return to the regular Print dialog box, and you'll be ready to go.