This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Printer doesn't function when I use Thunderbird.

  • 4 cavab
  • 0 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by PthDE

more options

Once I have logged onto Thunderbird my printer will only print to PDF. This is for anything I try to print whilst in Thunderbird. Once logged out or if I did not log in all is fine and printing works as it should. Looks like Thunderbird is taking over my printer.

Once I have logged onto Thunderbird my printer will only print to PDF. This is for anything I try to print whilst in Thunderbird. Once logged out or if I did not log in all is fine and printing works as it should. Looks like Thunderbird is taking over my printer.

All Replies (4)

more options

Thunderbird is about as primitive a printer user as you will find anywhere. I doubt it is capable of doing anything at all really.

When you print preview in Thunderbird, what printer does it use?

more options

The only option it allows is to save to pdf.

more options

Try a reset: Help/Troubleshooting Info, Printing (bottom of page), Clear saved print settings, restart TB. Any difference?

more options

I have this problem too, for a long time.

In the Config_Editor I tried setting print_printer to "Reset" (ref: from https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1248591#answer-1239710 - 4 years ago), closed and restarted TB but made absolutely no change whatsoever.

I print messages outside of TB after exporting as PDF. Attachments are also printed outside of Thunderbird after saving.

Long ago, before Printing Tools NG arrived, I could easily print directly to a printer or to PDF. Since the arrival of Printing Tools NG I have never been able to print within TB! I am not adverse to Printing Tools NG but any tool must work!

Good luck!