Print Styles
Print styles let you change how a website looks when it is printed or previewed as a PDF. Many elements are not needed when printing, such as the navbar, sidebar, and footer. The print media query lets you remove those elements and optimize the layout for paper.
Print-specific properties include page-break-before/after/inside to control page breaking, @page for paper margins, and orphans/widows to prevent text from being cut off at the end of a page.
It is important to make sure a website remains readable when printed. Background colors are usually removed, text is guaranteed to have enough contrast, and the layout is simplified into a single column.
Code Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<style>
/* Screen Styles */
body {
font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;
line-height: 1.8;
color: #333;
max-width: 900px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px;
}
/* Navigation - Hide on Print */
.navbar {
background: #1a1a2e;
color: white;
padding: 15px 25px;
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: center;
border-radius: 8px;
margin-bottom: 30px;
}
.navbar .logo {
font-weight: bold;
font-size: 1.2em;
}
.navbar nav a {
color: white;
text-decoration: none;
margin-left: 20px;
opacity: 0.8;
}
/* Sidebar - Hide on Print */
.layout {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 250px;
gap: 30px;
}
.article h1 {
font-size: 2em;
margin-bottom: 10px;
color: #1a1a2e;
}
.article .meta {
color: #888;
font-size: 0.9em;
margin-bottom: 25px;
padding-bottom: 15px;
border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;
}
.article p {
margin-bottom: 18px;
text-align: justify;
}
.article blockquote {
margin: 25px 0;
padding: 15px 20px;
border-left: 4px solid #667eea;
background: #f8f9ff;
font-style: italic;
color: #555;
}
.article h2 {
margin-top: 35px;
color: #1a1a2e;
page-break-after: avoid;
}
.article img {
max-width: 100%;
border-radius: 8px;
margin: 20px 0;
}
.sidebar {
background: #f8f9fa;
padding: 20px;
border-radius: 8px;
border: 1px solid #eee;
}
.sidebar h3 {
margin-top: 0;
font-size: 1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #888;
}
.sidebar ul {
list-style: none;
padding: 0;
}
.sidebar li {
padding: 8px 0;
border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;
}
.sidebar a {
color: #667eea;
text-decoration: none;
}
/* Footer - Hide on Print */
.footer {
margin-top: 40px;
padding: 20px;
background: #1a1a2e;
color: #aaa;
text-align: center;
border-radius: 8px;
font-size: 0.9em;
}
/* Print Button */
.print-btn {
position: fixed;
bottom: 30px;
right: 30px;
padding: 12px 24px;
background: #667eea;
color: white;
border: none;
border-radius: 8px;
font-size: 1em;
cursor: pointer;
box-shadow: 0 4px 15px rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.4);
}
.print-btn:hover {
background: #5a6fd6;
}
/* ============ PRINT STYLES ============ */
@media print {
/* Hide non-printable elements */
.navbar,
.sidebar,
.footer,
.print-btn {
display: none !important;
}
/* Reset body for print */
body {
max-width: 100%;
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
font-size: 12pt;
color: black;
background: white;
}
/* Layout adjustments */
.layout {
display: block;
}
/* Article print styles */
.article h1 {
font-size: 24pt;
page-break-after: avoid;
}
.article h2 {
page-break-after: avoid;
font-size: 18pt;
}
.article h3 {
page-break-after: avoid;
}
.article p {
orphans: 3;
widows: 3;
}
.article blockquote {
border-left: 2px solid #999;
background: none;
page-break-inside: avoid;
}
/* Images print styles */
.article img {
max-width: 100% !important;
page-break-inside: avoid;
}
/* Links */
.article a {
color: black;
text-decoration: underline;
}
.article a[href]::after {
content: " (" attr(href) ")";
font-size: 0.8em;
color: #666;
}
.article a[href^="#"]::after,
.article a[href^="javascript"]::after {
content: "";
}
/* Page setup */
@page {
margin: 2cm;
size: A4;
}
/* Page breaks */
.page-break {
page-break-before: always;
}
/* Tables */
table {
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
page-break-inside: avoid;
}
table th,
table td {
border: 1px solid #ccc;
padding: 8px;
text-align: left;
}
table th {
background: #f0f0f0 !important;
font-weight: bold;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="navbar">
<div class="logo">SkillVersitas</div>
<nav>
<a href="#">Home</a>
<a href="#">Tutorial</a>
<a href="#">Tentang</a>
<a href="#">Kontak</a>
</nav>
</div>
<div class="layout">
<article class="article">
<h1>Memahami CSS Print Styles</h1>
<div class="meta">Written by Admin | July 13, 2026 | 5 min read</div>
<p>Print styles let you optimize how a website looks when printed or exported to PDF. With a dedicated print media query, you can hide unneeded elements and adjust the layout for paper.</p>
<p>Many developers ignore print styles, but they are important for articles, documents, or invoices that might be printed by users. A print-friendly website provides a better experience.</p>
<blockquote>
"Every website should have print styles. You never know when someone wants to print your page."
</blockquote>
<h2>Mengapa Print Styles Penting?</h2>
<p>Users may want to print an article to read offline, save a page as a PDF for reference, or print an invoice or ticket. Without print styles, the printed output becomes cluttered with navigation elements and sidebars.</p>
<h2>Best Practices</h2>
<p>Hide non-essential elements such as the navbar, sidebar, and footer. Make sure the text has enough contrast without background colors. Use page-break properties to control page breaks. Include link URLs in the printout so readers can visit the source.</p>
<p>By applying good print styles, your website will stay professional and readable in print format.</p>
</article>
<aside class="sidebar">
<h3>Table of Contents</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="#">Mengapa Print Styles?</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Media Query Print</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Page Break Properties</a></li>
<li><a href="#">@page Rule</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Tips Praktis</a></li>
</ul>
</aside>
</div>
<div class="footer">
© 2026 SkillVersitas. All rights reserved.
</div>
<button class="print-btn" onclick="window.print()">Print Page</button>
</body>
</html>
Code Explanation
@media print: A media query that is only active when printing or previewing the print output. All styles inside this block replace the screen styles when printing.
display: none !important: Hides the navbar, sidebar, footer, and print button in the printed output. !important is required to override the specificity.
@page rule: Sets the paper margin and size. margin: 2cm gives a uniform margin on all sides. size: A4 sets the paper size.
page-break-after: avoid: Prevents a heading from being separated at the end of a page. The heading is moved to the next page if there is not enough space.
page-break-inside: avoid: Prevents a blockquote or image from being cut in the middle.
orphans: 3: At least the last 3 lines of a paragraph must stay on the same page. Prevents a paragraph from leaving only 1-2 lines at the end of a page.
widows: 3: At least the first 3 lines of a paragraph must stay on the same page.
a[href]::after: Displays the URL after a link in the printed output, using content: " (" attr(href) ")". Useful so readers can visit the source.
.article a[href^="#"]::after: Empties the content for anchor links because they are not relevant in print.
Everyday Use Cases
Blog article: Hide the navbar, sidebar, and comments. Show the URL of every link in the article body.
Invoice: Remove the navigation and include the full order details in a neat format on paper.
Recipe: A clean single-column layout without distracting ads or a sidebar.
Online resume: Make sure the resume looks professional when printed directly from the browser.
Conclusion
Print styles ensure a website remains readable and professional when printed. Hide non-essential elements, control page breaks, and make sure colors have enough contrast for black-and-white printing. Use @page for paper margins, orphans/widows for paragraphs, and page-break properties for headings and images. Always test print styles with the browser's print preview.