Remove Headers & Footers When Printing Web Pages
To remove headers and footers when printing a web page, you change a setting in your browser’s print dialog or in your operating system’s print preferences. This removes the page title, URL, and date that browsers normally add around your content, leaving a cleaner printout.
Why Headers and Footers Appear
Browsers add headers and footers to printed pages by default. The header typically shows the page title, and the footer shows the URL and the date and time of printing. This is a browser feature, not a property of the web page itself. The web page’s own design—its menus, sidebars, and images—is separate from these printer-added elements. When you print, the browser takes the visible web content and wraps it with these extra bits of metadata.
The exact content of the header and footer varies by browser. For example, Chrome prints the page title at the top-left and the URL at the bottom-left, with the date at the top-right and the page number at the bottom-right. Firefox prints the title at the top-left, the URL at the bottom-left, and the date and page number at the bottom-right. Safari and Edge have similar defaults. These are all controlled by a checkbox or a dropdown in the print dialog, not by the website.
How to Remove Them in Desktop Browsers
The steps are nearly identical in all major desktop browsers. Open the print dialog with Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac), then look for a section called “More settings” or “Options.”
- Chrome: Click “More settings” to expand the dialog. Under “Options,” uncheck “Headers and footers.”
- Firefox: In the print preview window, click “Page Setup” (or the gear icon). Under “Headers & Footers,” change each dropdown from the default value to “–blank–.”
- Edge: Click “More settings” and uncheck “Headers and footers.”
- Safari: In the print dialog, uncheck “Print headers and footers” in the Safari section.
After unchecking, the preview updates immediately. You do not need to reload the page or restart the browser. The setting is remembered for future print jobs in that browser profile.
How to Remove Them in Mobile Browsers
On smartphones and tablets, the process depends on the browser and the operating system. In most cases, you still access the print dialog through the share menu or the browser’s menu.
- Chrome on Android: Tap the three-dot menu, select “Share,” then “Print.” In the print preview, tap the downward arrow next to the printer name to expand options, then uncheck “Headers and footers.”
- Safari on iOS: Tap the Share button, then “Print.” In the print options, look for a toggle labeled “Headers and Footers” and turn it off. Some iOS versions hide this behind a “Details” or “Options” button.
- Firefox on Android: Tap the menu, select “Page,” then “Print.” In the print preview, tap “Options” and uncheck “Print headers and footers.”
If you cannot find the option, try the browser’s desktop mode or use a dedicated printing app. Some mobile browsers do not expose this setting at all, in which case you can use a PDF export and then print from a PDF viewer, which gives you more control.
Using the Operating System’s Print Dialog
If the browser’s own settings are not enough—for example, if you are printing from an app that does not have a header/footer toggle—you can use the system print dialog. On Windows, this is often called the “Microsoft Print to PDF” dialog or the printer’s properties window. On Mac, it is the standard print sheet.
In the system dialog, look for a “Layout” or “Paper Handling” section. Some printer drivers have their own header/footer options, which are separate from the browser’s. However, for most web printing, the browser’s setting is the one that matters. The system dialog usually does not add headers or footers unless the application explicitly asks it to. So if you are still seeing headers, double-check that the browser’s option is off, not the printer’s.
Common Problems and Misconceptions
A frequent issue is that the header/footer setting is hidden or grayed out. This can happen if the page is set to print in “Background graphics” mode or if the browser is in a simplified reading view. In Chrome, if you have “Use system print dialog” enabled in the browser’s settings, the header/footer checkbox disappears. You can switch back to the default print preview by going to chrome://settings/printing and turning off “Use system print dialog.”
Another misconception is that the website controls these headers. A web page cannot remove the browser’s headers and footers; they are added after the page is rendered. The only way to remove them is through the print settings. Also, some people confuse the browser’s header/footer with the web page’s own fixed header or footer (like a sticky navigation bar). Those are part of the page design and must be removed by the website itself or by using a reader mode that strips out navigation elements.
Alternatives: Print to PDF and Reader Mode
If you want a clean printout without any extra effort, use the “Print to PDF” feature in your browser. This converts the web page into a PDF file, and you can then open that PDF in a viewer and print it. Most PDF viewers have their own header/footer options, which you can set to “None.” This gives you a two-step process: first remove the browser’s headers by printing to PDF with the setting off, then print the PDF with the viewer’s headers off.
Another useful alternative is the browser’s reader mode. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can click the reader mode icon (usually a small book or page icon) in the address bar. This strips away the website’s own menus, ads, and sidebars, leaving only the main article text. Then, when you print from reader mode, the output is much cleaner, even with headers and footers on. Combine reader mode with the header/footer setting off for the best result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do headers and footers still appear after I unchecked the box?
If you unchecked the box but headers still show, you may be looking at the web page’s own header or footer, not the browser’s. Try scrolling to the very top and bottom of the printed page. If the text is the page title and URL, it is the browser’s. If it is a menu or copyright notice, it is part of the website. Also, check that you are not using the system print dialog, which may have its own settings.
Can I remove headers and footers from just one page of a multi-page print?
No, the setting applies to the entire print job. You cannot have headers on page 1 and none on page 2. If you need different settings, print the pages separately, or print to PDF and then edit the PDF to remove headers from specific pages.
Does the setting apply to all websites or just the current one?
The browser’s header/footer setting is global—it applies to every website you print from that browser. It is not per-site. Once you turn it off, it stays off for all future print jobs until you turn it back on.
How do I remove headers and footers when printing from Google Docs or other online editors?
In Google Docs, the headers and footers are part of the document itself, not the browser. To remove them, go to the document’s “Insert” menu, select “Headers & Footers,” and delete the content. Then, when you print, the browser’s own headers/footers can be turned off separately in the print dialog.
What if I want to keep the date but remove the URL?
Most browsers do not allow you to customize which parts of the header/footer appear. You can only turn the whole thing on or off. In Firefox, you can individually set each item to blank, but in Chrome and Edge, it is an all-or-nothing toggle. If you need selective control, use Firefox or print to PDF and edit the PDF.
Is there a way to remove headers and footers automatically for every print?
Yes, the setting is remembered by the browser. Once you uncheck it, it stays off for all future print jobs. If you use a different browser or a private/incognito window, you may need to set it again, as some browsers reset these settings in private mode.
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