How Can I Control Element Visibility When Printing with CSS?

Controlling Visibility in Print with CSS

When printing web pages, it's often desirable to hide certain elements that are not necessary or distracting on the printed page. CSS provides a powerful tool known as "@media print" that enables developers to control the visibility of elements specifically for printing.

Browser Compatibility

The "@media print" feature is widely supported by modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. This ensures that the print styles will be applied effectively on most user devices.

Tagging Elements for Printing

To achieve the desired visibility control, assign a unique class, such as "printable," to the elements that should be shown when printing.

Applying Print Styles

Within the "@media print" section of the CSS, specify that all elements should be hidden (e.g., "display:none;") except for those with the "printable" class.

@media print {
    * {display:none;}
    .printable, .printable > * {display:block;}
}

Resolving the Visibility Problem

The code provided initially hides everything. To make the "printable" elements visible, use a negative approach: hide all elements that are not part of the "printable" class.

@media print {
    body *:not(.printable *) {display:none;}
}

Example Usage

To handle specific situations where certain elements should be displayed only in the browser or only on the printed page:

• Add a class named "noPrint" to elements that should not appear on the printed page.
• Add a class named "onlyPrint" to elements that should appear only on the printed page.

@media print {
  .noPrint {
      display:none;
  }
}
@media screen {
   .onlyPrint {
       display: none;
   }
}

By implementing these techniques, developers can effectively control the visibility of elements based on the printing mode, enhancing the user experience and ensuring that only the desired content is printed.

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