Support for the old print interface has been removed in Firefox 97 and print.tab_modal.enabled is no longer supported as you can see by the trashcan instead of the edit icon at the far right of this pref (you can click the trashcan to remove the print.tab_modal.enabled pref).

• 1702501 - Remove print.tab_modal.enabled pref and old frontend print preview code

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There have been a lot of changes and improvements to the combined preview/setup/print overlay since its debut. There are still some issues, but I suggest taking a fresh look and letting us know what problems you encounter.

Hello jscher2000 The print preview button is going from the file menu. Seems like Firefox has a new format for printing which is bad. Firefox did some updates and the PRINT PREVIEW button is going. This happened before when Firefox did some updates. I fixed it before by typing about:config in the address bar. Then typing tab_mo and double clicking on the bar for either true (for the new format for printing) or clicking to false for the old classic print preview. For some reason I tried this same method and now this does not work. I want to have the old Print Preview button back on the file menu. Trying to figure out how to do this. Can you help Me? Thank You marschall3

The print preview button is going from the file menu.

Preview, setup, and print are combined. You call up the preview using the Print command.

Seems like Firefox has a new format for printing which is bad.

Which part of the overlay do you not like?

For some reason I tried this same method and now this does not work.

That was a temporary preference until the new feature was finished.

I want to have the old Print Preview button back on the file menu.

You can use an add-on button to tell Firefox to show Print Preview and it will show the new preview/setup/print overlay. The old preview was removed.

Thanks for the update in answer to my question. That's to bad Firefox had to remove the old print preview. It was so easy to get around and use that feature. Firefox had a good thing going on with the print preview. Wish they would bring it back! Looks like a lot of other users feels the same way. Very disappointed! Again, thank you for your help.

This is a terrible change to make, especially for those of us who have visual impairments. I have difficulty reading the screen, so I print and read from hard copies, and I use the scaling feature in print preview to enlarge the font size. You've now eliminated my ability to do this. You need to provide a simple, easy way to access a print preview feature. You have eliminated my main reason for using Firefox.

I use the scaling feature in print preview to enlarge the font size. You've now eliminated my ability to do this.

Hi MelanieS, to access the scaling setting, click "More settings" to expand the panel:

I'm willing to try the new print preview (I've previously been using print.tab_modal.enabled=false) but so far I have not found a way to use a feature in the new print preview that I could with the old version.

I often see pages that won't print properly. They have CSS that causes, for example, all the content to be printed on the first page and then all subsequent pages are blank, with the first page being cut off at the bottom of the physical paper size, rather than having the content continue to the next page.

Or there are things on the page that I don't want printed, perhaps a header that is "sticky" that tries to print at the top of every page, or a side bar that is not relevant to what I want to print.

Or sometimes I want to highlight certain parts of the page, making the font bigger or changing the color.

With the old print preview, I could bring up the developer tools (code inspector) and look at the html of the printed page before it was printed. I could then delete the html elements that I didn't want or adjust the CSS. My final print out would contain all these adjustments and it was great. It was a way to customize the print before printing.

Is there any way to do this with the new print preview? I'm not able to open the developer tools in the new print preview dialog.

(Note: I know I can bring up the developer tools on the page I want to print [before printing] and toggle the "print media simulation" button in the CSS panel, but that option doesn't really show me a realistic preview of printing. As mentioned in one of my examples above, when a page tries to print all the content on one page, CSS overflow sometimes confuses things, the simulation doesn't convey that.)

With the old print preview, I could bring up the developer tools (code inspector) and look at the html of the printed page before it was printed. I could then delete the html elements that I didn't want or adjust the CSS. My final print out would contain all these adjustments and it was great. It was a way to customize the print before printing. Is there any way to do this with the new print preview? I'm not able to open the developer tools in the new print preview dialog.

With the combined overlay, the preview can't be directly inspected.

I am familiar with the pagination problems, which can have many causes. I posted an add-on with buttons to fix various pagination issues (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/printable-the-print-doctor/). However, since you edit out other parts of the page, I think you would benefit from trying the Print Edit extension:

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/print-edit-we/

However, since you edit out other parts of the page, I think you would benefit from trying the Print Edit extension: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/print-edit-we/

Thanks for the reference. I took a look at the extension and it doesn't provide anything more useful that I can't already do in the code inspector window.

It's a shame the old print preview can't still be supported. I'm all for progress and improvements but in this case, functionality was removed, even if I was using print preview in an unexpected way. For the time being, I have to use the new print preview to see how the page looks, close the preview, edit the page, preview again, close the preview, edit the page some more, etc. Quite time consuming.

where did print prieview go ? messing up my whole business to print orders and packing slips labels. big tech messing with things that work again about:config print.tab etc doesnt work why do yoy keep messing with things i cant a cces printer settings like before all messed up

Hi rcargen1, Print Preview and Page Setup have merged with the print command. If you need to access settings that Firefox doesn't list on the settings panel, you'll need to use the "Print using system dialog" link down near the Print button.

I want to explain why I hate, loathe, and despise the new Print function in Firefox and why I want the previous Print View function to be returned.

My chief complaint is that there almost no keyboard commands available with the new Print function.

I have worked as a production typist for more than 20 years. My income depends on how fast I able to type, and I know that every time I have to take my hands off the keyboard for even a second, I'm wasting time, and that means I'm losing money. It also means I'm putting strain on the hand that uses the mouse/touchpad and on my rotator cuffs. (I have developed something called "trigger fingers" on one finger on each hand from years of typing. I have to keep those fingers wrapped in tape while I'm working. Trust me, I know something about repetitive motion injuries.)

Speed is not as essential when using the internet, but being able to use keyboard commands still makes a huge difference when printing a long series of articles.

I do not automatically print every page in a document. That can be a huge waste of paper and toner. I always check the document in Print View and choose the page range I want printed. For me, printing is not a matter of Ctrl-P and Enter.

These are the movements I used with the previous, highly efficient Print View:

Use Alt-F-V for Print View. Use Page Down or arrow keys to scan for correct page breaks, number of pages wanted, etc. Hit Esc to leave Print View. Click Ctrl-P for Print. Use Alt-G to access box for selecting page range to print. Then type page range I want printed. Hit Enter to print.

I didn't have to take my hands off the keyboard, and I didn't have to look at the Dialog box.

This what I have to do, as far as I can tell, with the new and deplorable Print feature.

Use Ctrl-P for Page View. Take hands off keyboard and use mouse/touchpad to tap the page. Then use arrow keys or Page Down key to scan through pages OR take hands off keyboard to make a fiddly hand movement with mouse/touchpad to click on the forward or back arrows to scan through pages. Hit Tab key NINE TIMES to reach and highlight Pages button; then hit Down arrow key THREE TIMES to access the box for indicating the page(s) I want printed; then hit Enter; then type page range I want printed, OR take my hand off the keyboard and make a fiddly hand movement to access the Pages button and the Custom line, then type page range I want printed. Hit Enter to print.

I've had to do too much excess hitting OR I've had to take my hand off the keyboard for an extended period and look at the screen the whole time to find the right boxes or buttons. This is incredibly inefficient in terms of time, hand movements, and eye movements. It is bad design.

One of the main reasons I've preferred Firefox for years is because it appeared to be designed by smart people. This design is not smart. Go back to being smart and fix it.

I agree to all users and support all who want FIREFOX to bring back the old classic Print Preview in the file menu! Firefox made a BIG mistake with the new format.

My chief complaint is that there almost no keyboard commands available with the new Print function.

I appreciate the passion and I, too, an am extremely keyboard heavy user. I'm willing to try the new interface provided it has the same features (and presumably more if it's an "improvement") as before. I use the same keyboard sequences you do (alt+f,v to see the preview, alt+g for the pages to print).

Ignoring the business side of things and the physical strain and removing emotion from the comments, I think you can still do (most) what you want to do all with the keyboard. When the new print dialog first comes up, the focus is in the "destination" box. If you shift+tab (backwards) twice, the focus is on the page navigation area at the bottom of the preview area. You can (back) tab to the single left and right arrows (the double arrows go to the beginning or end) and press enter to see the next or previous page. Or you can back tab some more past the left double arrow and the focus will be on the preview area itself. When the focus is on the preview area, then page up/down and arrow up/down work to scroll the area.

The main thing that's missing is once you've paged through the preview area, there's not a fast way to get to the print button in the dialog or to the "print using system dialog" button. You have to tab a bunch of times (either forward or backward) to get there. In the old print preview, alt+p would take you there.

Hi MelanieS, maybe I can suggest a slight improvement:

This what I have to do, as far as I can tell, with the new and deplorable Print feature. Use Ctrl-P for Page View. Take hands off keyboard and use mouse/touchpad to tap the page. Then use arrow keys or Page Down key to scan through pages OR take hands off keyboard to make a fiddly hand movement with mouse/touchpad to click on the forward or back arrows to scan through pages.

You can change panes using the keyboard. After Ctrl+P when the "Destionation" selector has the focus, either:

• F6 F6 (next frame, twice)
• Shift+F6 (previous frame, once)

The focus should be on the preview document just as though you clicked on it. Then Page Up/Page Down or arrows.

Hit Tab key NINE TIMES to reach and highlight Pages button; then hit Down arrow key THREE TIMES to access the box for indicating the page(s) I want printed; then hit Enter; then type page range I want printed, OR take my hand off the keyboard and make a fiddly hand movement to access the Pages button and the Custom line, then type page range I want printed. Hit Enter to print.

This following slightly faster but still fiddly (note that the number of tabs may vary depending on the features of your printer):

F6 Tab Tab Tab Tab C [enter pages] Enter

F6 switches to the right pane, Tab focuses Destination, Tab moves focus to Copies, Tab moves focus to Orientation, Tab moves focus to Pages, C changes the value to Custom and opens the field for entering pages and positions the insertion point there.

One of the main reasons I've preferred Firefox for years is because it appeared to be designed by smart people. This design is not smart. Go back to being smart and fix it.

It seems we are in a mouse-oriented world. I'm pretty sure the old preview isn't coming back, but the proposal to add a new keyboard shortcut to go directly to the system print dialog would be helpful to you. (I don't know whether that will make it into Firefox 98.)

Other tweaks to the current design certainly are possible (and many have already been requested). It sounds like you would benefit from an accelerator key for Custom pages. You can propose that and/or other specific changes on either:

• Mozilla's "Ideas" site at: https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/
• The bug tracking system at: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/

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I don't see why we shouldn't. It IS a bug.

this new print preview is nothing but a major pile of flaming crap classic is a heck of a lot easier to use, easier to set up, this new flaming pile of crap in harder less options and all out a major pain to even use not only do you have to up the size to even be able to read anything you print classic set to 100 was great now you have to set it to 115-120 to get the same as it was with classic the heders suck it's either you have them or you have nothing at all on classic you could set to have no header and still have the page # and date but not in this new crap it's either you have both or none at all. NO one asked for this page setup and print preview merge crap NOT ONLY was is a majorly bad idea it was pointless bring back classic option STOP trying to FORCE crap on your user's it NEVER END'S well. user's want options. forcing crap on to your user's will only end in having LESS USER"S in the End nothing more. trying asking your users what they want. stop and think a gaming company pulls crap that players don't like guess what happens they stop playing the game and the word get's around and the gaming company losses Money.

BRING BACK CLASSIC PRINT PREVEIW UNMEARGE THIS CRAP PAGE SETUP AND PRINT PREVIEW ARE 2 SEPERAT THINGS THERE IS NO REASON OR NEED TO MERGER THEM VERY BAD IDEA NO ONE WANTS THIS CRAP!

cor-el said

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I don't see why we shouldn't. It IS a bug.

If it's a bug on file, you don't need to comment unless you can help code the solution. Sometimes bugs attract a lot of "me too" and "hurry up" comments and then the developers block all comments, even ones that are useful for solving the bug.

not only do you have to up the size to even be able to read anything you print classic set to 100 was great now you have to set it to 115-120 to get the same as it was with classic

On screen, right, not on the printout?

Yes, unless you are displaying a maximized window at Full HD, the preview doesn't use the available space efficiently. I think there is a bug on file to address this in part, but I'm not sure whether it will get traction. There is an unofficial hack to fix this, which involves the community-supported workaround of a userChrome.css file. Here's an old post on that: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1320798#answer-1415936

the heders suck it's either you have them or you have nothing at all on classic you could set to have no header and still have the page # and date but not in this new crap it's either you have both or none at all.

Yes, this aspect of the old Page Setup dialog is missing. I'm not optimistic it will be added to the setup panel (which already is getting a big long). The workaround is to edit the header and footer fields manually in about:config. More info in this post: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1357645#answer-1458911