Printing from email or cloud storage adds an extra layer between you and the printer. You might get only the email text instead of the attachment, a blank page, a low-quality preview, or no print option at all. Cloud files are often placeholders until they download, and email apps sometimes print a preview rather than the real file. This guide shows how to get the actual file onto your device and print it properly, plus what to check if you use your printer's email printing service.
What you might be seeing
- Only the email message prints, not the attachment
- Attachments print as blank pages or low-quality previews
- No print option for a file in a cloud storage app
- Documents sent to the printer's email service never print
Common causes
- File not fully downloaded
- Cloud and email apps often show a preview before the file is on your device, and printing the preview can fail or look poor.
- Printing the wrong thing
- Printing a web email page prints the message window, not the attachment.
- Unsupported file format
- Phones and some print services can't render every file type.
- Email print service settings
- Printer email services usually need the feature switched on, an approved sender and supported attachments.
How to fix it, step by step
Work through these in order and test a print after each one. Most people are done within the first few steps.
Download the file before printing
Open the attachment or cloud file fully, and if there's a download or save option, use it so the file is stored on your device. On a Windows PC, files in a synced cloud folder that show a cloud icon are online-only; right-click and choose the option to always keep them on the device. Once the file is local, open it from there and print.
Print from the file's own viewer
In web-based email, pressing Ctrl + P on the message prints the email page, not the attachment. Click the attachment to open its viewer and use the print icon inside that viewer, or download it and open it in the matching app, such as a PDF reader for PDFs. Cloud storage websites behave the same way, and their preview pages often print poorly.
Print on iPhone or iPad through the Files app
In the email or cloud app, open the attachment, tap Share and choose Save to Files. Open the Files app, find the document, open it, tap Share again and choose Print. Printing from Files uses the full document rather than a preview, which clears up many missing-page and quality problems.
Print on Android from a downloaded copy
Tap the attachment and choose the download option, or in a cloud app use its download or available offline option. Open the Files app, tap the file and open it in a suitable viewer. From the viewer's menu, choose Print and select your printer. If no print option appears, that viewer can't print the format, so try another app.
Convert awkward formats to PDF
If a file type won't print from your phone or tablet, open it in an app that can export or share it as a PDF, then print the PDF, which prints reliably on almost every device. For images in less common formats, saving or sharing a copy in a standard photo format first often helps. Converting to PDF is also a good fix for documents with unusual fonts.
Check the printer's email printing service
If you email documents straight to your printer, open the manufacturer's app or account and confirm the email printing or web services feature is on and the printer shows as online. Check that the address you send from is on the allowed senders list, if there is one, and that the attachment type and size are within the service's limits. A web services information page printed from the control panel can confirm its status.
Refresh sign-ins and connections
Cloud apps and print services both rely on accounts. Sign out of the cloud storage app or the manufacturer's app and sign back in. If the printer was recently reset, moved to a new network or had its firmware updated, its web services connection may need setting up again from its control panel or the manufacturer's app before email printing works.
How to keep it from happening again
- Save attachments to your device before printing
- Send PDFs when documents are meant to be printed
- Keep the printer's web services connection active if you use email printing
- Update the allowed senders list when you change email addresses
Common questions
Why does my printed attachment look blurry?
You've probably printed a preview rather than the original file. Email and cloud apps create lower-resolution previews so they load quickly. Download the file and open it in its proper app before printing, and the output should match the original. If it's still blurry, the file itself is likely a low-resolution scan or photo.
Is the printer's email service safe to use?
Generally yes, as long as you limit the allowed senders to addresses you trust, so strangers can't send jobs to your printer. Treat the printer's email address as private and don't share it widely. Be careful with sensitive documents if you're unsure who might be near the printer when they come out.
Can I print directly from a cloud storage website?
You can, but the result depends on the site's preview, which may not include every page or full quality. Downloading the file and printing from a proper app is more reliable. Many cloud apps on phones also include a print option in their share or menu options, which usually works well once the file has fully downloaded.
This guide is general information written for common home and office printers. Menus and button names vary between models, so check your printer’s manual where a step differs. Printer Problems Solved is independent and not affiliated with any printer manufacturer. See our disclaimer.