to print off

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thomas615

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Is this sentence correct?

I will print this document off for you.
 

BobK

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Yes. I don't know why the 'off' is there; you could just as well say 'I will print this document for you.' Having been around throughout the life of home computing, I get the feeling that we add the 'off' to emphasize the ease of producing what is printed. (Several other phrasal verbs that imply ease include the word off - 'dash off', 'reel off', 'laugh off'...)

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Tdol

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You could also use print out.
 

BobK

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:up: ... and you could call the result a printout. (Some native speakers used to reserve 'printout' for one on fan-fold paper, used by the old lineprinter. But that sort of machine is so rare now that I don't think the distinction has much of a future;-))

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