How to only print message header of an email in Outlook?

Author Kelly Last modified 2025-01-16

When printing an email in Outlook, both the message header and body are printed together. However, certain situations may require you to print just the message header, such as when documenting metadata for troubleshooting or sharing. While Outlook’s default tools provide a way to extract and print the messy, technical Internet headers, they can be cumbersome and unorganized. On the other hand, Kutools for Outlook offers a faster, cleaner way to print the normal message header directly. This article covers both methods and highlights their differences.

Method 1: Print the messy internet headers of an email (Manual and Disorganized)

Method 2: Print the clean, normal header of an email 👍 (Efficient and Professional)

Method 1: Print the messy internet headers of an email

Outlook does not natively support printing just the message header. However, you can extract the Internet headers of an email, which contain detailed routing and metadata information, and print them separately using Word or a new email. The headers, however, are messy and hard to read, making this method less suitable for professional use.

Step 1: Open the email and access the properties dialog

Double-click the email whose Internet headers you want to print. Click File > Info > Properties to open the Properties dialog box.

Step 2: Copy the Internet headers

In the Internet headers box, place your cursor and press Ctrl + A to select all content.
Press Ctrl + C to copy the selected content.
Click Close to exit the Properties dialog.

Step 3: Paste into a new document or email

Create a new email by clicking Home > New Email, or open Word to create a new document.
Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied Internet headers.

Step 4: Print the Internet headers

Click File > Print in the new email or document window. Select your printer, adjust settings, and click Print.

Step 5: Discard the temporary email or document

Close the new email or document without saving it after printing.

Drawbacks:

Messy Output: The Internet headers are technical, unformatted, and hard to interpret for non-technical users.
Complex Steps: Multiple manual actions are required, making it tedious and time-consuming.
Not User-Friendly: The process is unsuitable for frequent use or those unfamiliar with technical details.

🖨️ Print Emails Without Headers or Usernames in Outlook!

Frustrated with printing unnecessary details like headers and usernames? With the incredible Advanced Print feature from Kutools for Outlook, you can focus on what matters—printing only the email body while keeping the background image intact. Just select your email, click Kutools Plus > Print > Advanced Print, and enjoy hassle-free, professional results. No extra setup, no unnecessary information—just the content you need.

the screenshot of the Advanced Print feature

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Method 2: Print the clean, normal header of an email 👍

For a cleaner, more professional output, Kutools for Outlook’s Advanced Print feature allows you to print the normal message header—which includes the subject, sender, recipients, and other metadata—directly and without the email body. This method is fast, user-friendly, and produces well-organized results suitable for any use case.

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Step 1: Select the email and access the Advanced Print feature

In the Mail view, select the email whose message header you want to print. Click Kutools Plus > Print > Advanced Print from the toolbar.

the screenshot of the Advanced Print feature

Step 2: Choose to print only the header

In the Advanced Print dialog box, check only the Item header option under the Print Content section. Click the Print button.

the screenshot of the Advanced Print dialog box

Step 3: Print the message header

In the Print dialog box, select your printer and adjust the settings. Click Print to finalize the process.

the screenshot of step about printing normal header 3

Advantages:

Clean and Readable Output: The printed header is professional and easy to understand, unlike the messy Internet headers.
Streamlined Process: Minimal steps required to print headers directly.
Time-Saving: Ideal for quickly printing headers from multiple emails without manual intervention.

Note: To apply the Advanced Print utility of Kutools for Outlook, firstly, you should download and install Kutools for Outlook.