[Tip] Restore Classic Print Preview Dialog Box UI in Mozilla Firefox

SUMMARY: This article will help you in disabling the new modern Print Preview UI and restoring old classic Print Preview dialog box in Mozilla Firefox web browser.

In newer versions of Mozilla Firefox web browser, you might have noticed that whenever you try to print something, Firefox displays a new modern redesigned Print Preview UI (known as Tab Modal Print User Interface) covering the whole web page and showing live preview of the web page. It’s quite similar to the default Print Preview UI present in Google Chrome web browser.

Following screenshot shows the new modern Print Preview UI in Mozilla Firefox:

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New_Modern_Print_Preview_Modal_Design_UI_Mozilla_Firefox.png

In older versions of Firefox, the browser used to display the classic system Print Preview dialog box which was easier to use and faster than this new one.

Following screenshot shows classic system Print Preview dialog box in Mozilla Firefox:

Old_Classic_System_Print_Preview_Dialog_Box_Mozilla_Firefox.png

The classic Print Preview dialog box doesn’t use any animation or eye candy effects such as shadow, etc which makes it faster and more stable than the new Print Preview UI. Also the new Print Preview UI lacks a few features which were present in classic dialog box.

Many Firefox users don’t like the new Print Preview UI and they want to disable or remove it completely. They want to get back the classic Print Preview dialog box in Firefox browser.

PS: The new Print Preview UI still provides a link to switch to classic Print Preview dialog box. You need to click on “Print using the system dialog” link given at the bottom of right-sidebar and it’ll launch classic Print Preview dialog box.

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Fortunately, Mozilla team has provided a secret preference/flag to replace the new modern Print Preview UI with the classic Print Preview dialog box in Firefox.

By modifying this preference/flag, you can get rid of the new UI and restore classic Print Preview dialog box in Firefox.

If you also want to deactivate new modern Print Preview UI and restore classic Print Preview dialog box in Firefox, following steps will help you:

UPDATE: There is a new working way to restore classic print preview dialog box in Firefox 101 and later versions. You can find the method in following article:

New Method to Enable Classic Print Preview Dialog in Firefox 101 and Later

1. Open Firefox and type about:config in the addressbar and press Enter. It’ll show you a warning message, click on “Accept the Risk and Continue” button. It’ll open Firefox’s hidden secret advanced configuration page i.e. about:config page.

2. Now type print.tab in Search filter box and look for following preference in the window:

print.tab_modal.enabled

The preference value is set to true by default, which means the new Print Preview UI is currently activated and enabled in your Firefox version.

3. To deactivate and disable the new Print Preview UI and restore classic Print Preview dialog box, double-click on print.tab_modal.enabled preference and set it to false. Alternatively, you can click on the Toggle icon given next to the preference name.

Disable_New_Modern_Print_Preview_Modal_Design_UI_Mozilla_Firefox.png

That’s it. Now try to print anything in Firefox browser and you’ll get the good ol’ classic Print Preview dialog box back in Firefox.

PS: To restore default and new Print Preview UI in Firefox again, set the above mentioned preference to true.

UPDATE:

Mozilla Removed Preference to Restore Classic Print Preview in Firefox 97 and Later

Also Check:

[Tip] Restore Classic Print Preview Dialog Box in Chrome and Microsoft Edge

[Tip] Restore Old Classic Theme and UI in Firefox 89 and Later Versions

[Tip] Restore “Compact Mode” Density Option in Firefox Customize Window

[Fix] Restore Real Working Search Box on New Tab Page in Firefox 89 and Later

Published in: Mozilla Firefox

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. Thank you so much for this. The new print dialog is horrendous. Multiple, multiple clicks to get what the old one gave you right away, and no “simplify page” option. Why do they break what isn’t broken? It’s programmer vanity and contempt for customers.

  2. Completely broken Print Preview this morning after x86 update.
    Page never rendered at all. Greeted with infinite spinner throbber activity indicator.

  3. Mr. Vishal Gupta, I want to sincerely thank you for sharing your knowledge and taking the time to create this easy to follow tip. It was a tremendous help on resolving burden of the “wannabe Chrome Print UI” on Mozilla Firefox. After months of being annoyed by the so-called improvement and, believing the “classic” Print Preview dialog box was gone forever, I begrudgingly contemplated the idea of installing an older version of Firefox. Unfortunately, installing a previous version of Firefox meant, losing any and all security and stability improvements. Luckily, when I came across your solution to this dilemma, downloading the executable was as far as I had gotten and needed to go. Yay! It prevented me from making an unnecessary risky decision, enduring guaranteed migraines and the loss of precious time. Once again, thank you. -George

  4. Dear Sir,

    Thank you very much for this tip.
    The new print-window is so bad!
    No I can use the old Print Preview again, thanks again.

    Johan.

  5. What jthelw, Dennis, RoKphish and Johan said. This is a spectacular example of how ‘old’ really is better than ‘new’. For those of us who actually use features such as (the old) Print Preview, the new Print UI is a disaster! I also do not like the fact it messes up print page dimensions…

    Vishal: thank you so much for publishing this “patch”; also thanks to Vishkat.

  6. Sometimes it is better to leave well used things alone. In this case the classic system Print Preview dialog box should not of been changed. Now that it has been changed perhaps you could add a line in the new Modern Print Preview UI to give the user the choice of returning to the classic system Print Preview dialog box without involving a multi-step procedure. Try this procedure–“Left click here to return to the classic system Print Preview dialog box”, and presto it is done. This 2021 not 1986 when a change in procedure required six or eight steps. You can do it, try, you will be successful in establishing a one step procedure.

  7. Thanks for the info. on getting back the classic system Print Preview. I also find that the print page dimensions are messed up.

  8. Dear Mr. Gupta,
    I want to add my thanks to those above for taking the time to share this tip and for making the steps so easy to follow. No doubt you have saved many people a lot of annoyance and frustration over the new default Print Preview UI.
    Best regards,
    Larry

  9. Thank you SO MUCH for this!
    I encountered the same problem as RoKphish. And only finding your tip prevented me from deleting the prefs.js since resetting the printing settings didn’t work.
    Simplification needs to happen!

  10. Unfortunately, Firefox has done it again. Now I can’t even reset the system print dialogue box as the default, even after making the changes in about:config. Is there a way of getting around this so as to reset the old settings without having to revert back to the previous version of Firefox? Help, S.O.S.!
    Thank You and God Bless You

  11. This fix no longer works. I used it successfully a couple of months ago, but when Print Preview disappeared off both my computers last week, changing the flag to “false” failed to restore Print Preview.

    Also, clicking “Use system dialogue” does not give access to Print Preview (Windows 10 Home, 64-bit), and as far as I know, it never has. If you could add a screenshot to the article showing how to get to it, I would be very grateful.

    Many thanks,

    Bev

  12. The previous time I used this solution it worked. Somehow this week it suddenly returned to the new dialogue and I am unable to re-set it. This solution no longer works.

  13. Hello V.G.,

    I am writing to report that the “print.tab_modal.enabled” fix, explained above, no longer works.

    Why oh why does Firefox keep trying to fix things that are not broke and never were broke in the first place?

    Debby
    Bradenton, Florida, USA

  14. The preference “print.tab_modal.enabled” had been removed but a new one with the same effect was added: “print.print.prefer_system_dialog”. Just set to true and enjoy!

    To ASKVG admins: please consider updating the article. Silent printing is not the solution for everyone!

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