Windows Tips

Save Paper When Printing From IE 5

Users of IE 5 often complain about the browser's lack of a print preview function like the one found in Netscape Navigator. Without this function, printing a part of a Web page becomes a crapshoot (will the wanted passage fall on page 2 or 3?). Instead of wasting paper printing the entire Web page to make sure you get the small part you need, try this work-around: When you want to print a Web page in IE 5, choose File, Edit with Microsoft FrontPage Editor. When the page finishes loading into FrontPage (included with Microsoft Office 2000) or FrontPage Express (included with IE 5), choose File, Print Preview. Click Next Page until you see the information you want printed. Click Zoom In if you need a closer inspection; and click Two Page to see two pages at once. When you've determined the page number of the portion you need, either click Print, or return to IE 5 and choose File, Print. Then enter the desired page number in the "from" and "to" boxes under "Print range," and click OK.

The downside? If the link you click opens a conventional file type, such as a JPEG graphic or a text file, the Edit with Microsoft FrontPage Editor command won't appear on the File menu. In the case of text files, right-click the link in the browser and choose Save Target As, specify a convenient location, and click Save to store the file on your PC. Then locate and select the saved file. Press Shift as you right-click the file icon and choose Open With. Select WordPad from the list and click OK. In WordPad, choose Print Preview and follow the same instructions as you would for FrontPage. Delete the saved file when you're done.

FrontPage Express can display only certain kinds of Web formatting, so your Web page may look distorted or may not display at all--especially if it uses frames. You'll fare much better if you install the full version of FrontPage 2000. Still, on many Web sites, using FrontPage Express can help you make an educated guess about printing the right page.