Most browsers enable the user to print web pages by simply pressing the print button. Unfortunately if the page to be printed is not a ‘print version’ then often the advertisements and graphics are also printed, which means you consume more ink. On top of that most web pages aren’t aligned for printing, resulting in large chunks of white spaces to be printed and sometimes text on the right hand side of the page is chopped off.

This article provides advice on the tools and applications you can use to edit web pages prior to printing from Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and iPhones to ensure that only relevant information is printed.

Internet Explorer

Even though Internet Explorer has been around for many years and still commands the lion’s share of browser market share, albeit a diminishing share, there is a lack of tools to help you print more efficiently and save printer inks. So if you are using Internet Explorer for your browsing then you’ll have to rely much more heavily on websites providing printer friendly versions of their content or use one of these tools to format content before sending it to be printed.

1. PrintWhatYouLike.com: This is a free tool that enables you to format the web page before sending it to the printer without having to copy it into MS Word. You can even remove adverts, widgets and other information you don’t require, therefore printing only what you need. The great advantage of this tool is that you don’t have to download any application as it runs off your browser. You can even change the font-type and settings and combine multiple web pages to save on paper when printing.

2. Print Punk: This is a plug-in for Internet Explorer which automatically resizes a web page to fit the printer paper. Although this product is not freeware, it is well worth the $19.95 as not only does it resize the page, but it will also fix page problems like ensuring that the right hand side of the page isn’t cut off during the print. It can also auto fit the page to the Internet Explorer window, as well as enabling the user to zoom into and out of web pages on the screen for easy viewing.

Firefox

When it comes to extensible browsers, it’s hard to beat Firefox. As you would expect there are many add-ons available that make printing content from the internet easier. Here are the best, and they’re all free to download and use!

3. Print Hint: The Print Hint extension for Firefox is a very handy tool which automatically detects whether the loaded web page is printable, or whether there is a linked web page which contains the print version of the web page. By clicking on the print icon, the print version is automatically loaded to eliminate the hassle and wasted ink when printing unnecessary information like logos and advertisements from Firefox browsers.

4. Remove It Permanently: The Firefox add-on, Remove It Permanently (RIP), is a very popular extension which is used to remove unwanted content from web pages making the content printer-friendly. RIP can remove both graphics and text, including tables and copyright notices. Best of all it removes all empty spaces, even from where you have removed page elements, so that printer paper is not wasted when printing.

5. HP Smart Web Printing: Another great free application which can be used with both Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers is the HP Smart Web Printing tool. It gives the user full control over the material to be printed as they can select both graphic and text content from multiple sites to be printed on a single page. The data can then be edited and then printed. You can even store the edited file.

Safari

Apple’s KHTML-based browser isn’t nearly as extensible as Firefox, but there are plug-ins that make printing much more economical.

6. Safari Magic: This essential plug-in offers the perfect solution to all printing problems when printing from the Safari web browser. It enables you to remove information from the web page that you don’t want to print, organise and incorporate text, graphics and pictures from multiple web pages and you can even add your own notes - all through the built in editor. This tool also ensures that content is not cut off during printing. Although Safari Magic is not free, the minimal fee of $19.95 is still good value for money considering the many features it offers.

7. Word Browser Plug-In: A must have Safari plug-in for all OS users who do not have MS Word installed on their machines is the Word Browser Plug-In, which allows you to view and print all MS Word documents from within the Safari browser. The downside to this plug-in is that it does not display or print any included graphics, but at least you can quickly print any MS Word documents without having to open up any additional applications.

iPhone

No longer is a phone just a phone. You can send and receive email, and even surf the web - but how do you print from your iPhone? Fortunately there are several applications that enable wireless iPhone printing. How useful is that!

8. HP iPrint Photo: HP recently released the iPrint Photo application which enables users of the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch to print 4 x 6 inch photographs where these devices are connected to an HP printer via a Wi-Fi network. Unfortunately the print application is restricted to photographs, so unless you have a photo printer such as an Photosmart or DeskJet the current version may not actually be what you need. However, for someone who takes a lot of photos and has a compatible HP printer, iPrint Photo is a handy app to have on your iPhone.

9. EuroSmartz Print: If you need to print web pages; your contacts or photographs from your iPhone, EuroSmartz Print application will do just that. At a minimal cost of $3, this application can be downloaded from their site onto your computer or laptop. To print, all you need to do is connect your iPhone to the computer and then print using the available printers.

These are just a few of the incredibly useful tools and add-ons for browsers and iPhones to make printing web pages much easier. So if you want to save paper when printing, have more control over the content to be printed or even print content from multiple sites on single pages, try one of these tools. You will not be disappointed.