to print off

[thomas615]

Is this sentence correct?

I will print this document off for you.

 

[BobK]

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'...)

b

 

[Tdol]

You could also use print out.

 

[BobK]

: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;-))

b