Fix: Word Print Preview Is Very Slow

Why Print Preview Is Slow

Print preview must render every page at full resolution, which is much more demanding than normal editing view.

Step-by-Step Fix

Step 1: Disable Background Printing

1. Go to File > Options > Advanced
2. Scroll to the Print section
3. Uncheck Print in background
4. Click OK

Step 2: Update Printer Drivers

1. Open Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners
2. Click your default printer > Manage > Printer properties > Advanced
3. Click New Driver to update, or visit the manufacturer’s website

Step 3: Compress Document Images

1. Click any image > Picture Format > Compress Pictures
2. Apply to all pictures at 150 ppi
3. Save and try print preview again

Step 4: Change Default Printer

Sometimes a specific printer driver is the bottleneck:

1. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners
2. Set Microsoft Print to PDF as the default printer
3. Open Print Preview — if it’s fast now, the issue is your printer driver

Quick Workaround

Export to PDF with File > Save As > PDF and preview the PDF in your PDF reader instead. This is often faster for large documents.