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 row (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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https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html)

Is there another way of setting the system print dialog as the default? What is the DisablePrintPreview policy and would this help?

I think you need to click the "Print using the system dialog..." link now:

I was aware of the "Print using the system dialog..." link in the print preview, but I don't want to see the print preview.

I don't want to see the print preview.

Just enter about:config in the URL bar and set print.always_print_silent to true.

It seems that print.always_print_silent will automatically print on the default printer. This is not what I want. I want to see the system print dialog box which allows me to select a printer, and I don't want to get to it via the Firefox print preview.

Print_silent launches to the default printer. I need to use the system dialog to select the printer or MS PDF.

Why would you even disable the ability to choose this?

I have resisted Chrome, Edge and Opera for years but this is the event that causes me to switch.

I think you need to click the "Print using the system dialog..." link now:

I rely on the Mac print preview to select pages to print. Especially in large documents. setting the print.tab_modal.enabled to False was quick and easy. I had one click print preview. Now I have to jump thru hoops -- file/print/ scroll down/ click use system dialogue/ ---- restore the option to by pass this. It is inconvenient and a huge waste of time. And NO the save PDF option is not an option. That adds even more steps to save a document to the HD that now have to go back in a delete!!!!

I have experimented with setting print.tab_modal.enabled to True with Firefox 96.0.3. I assume this is what I would get with Firefox 97.0. I'm not going to risk downloading Firefox 97.0 again because it took me several hours to get Firefox 96.0.3 working again. I discovered that the File menu Page Setup... and Print Preview options had gone. So providing a way of going directly to the system print dialog will not be sufficient. I still need Page Setup... and the old Print Preview to be available. The new print preview is not as good as the old print preview. It would be better if it used the whole of the window rather than overlaying about 70% of the window. I conclude that all of the functionality provided by setting print.tab_modal.enabled to False should be re-instated in a future release of Firefox. If this does not happen, I will either stay with Firefox 96.0.3 or switch to a different browser.

I still need Page Setup... and the old Print Preview to be available. The new print preview is not as good as the old print preview. It would be better if it used the whole of the window rather than overlaying about 70% of the window.

I think most of the Page Setup items are there. The main ones some users mentioned missing relate to changing the headers and footers around.

I agree that the Preview should be larger. I don't know whether that will happen. I'm using "self-help" for now to enlarge it (applying custom style rules in a userChrome.css file as described in https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1320798#answer-1415936 )

Why is it such an issue to the developers with allowing us to use the system dialog to print and skip the Firefox preview box? Do you not understand the need for fewer keystrokes and saving time? We have a right to "make it our own" right? - set it up to be more user friendly for our own needs. I use Firefox for work in a productivity based position and the developers asking WHY we need this is just aggravating the situation! Give me the option to rollback to 96.0.3 if you don't feel like giving us the system dialog box by default! Thank you

I use Firefox for work in a productivity based position and the developers asking WHY we need this is just aggravating the situation!

I'm not a developer, I'm a support volunteer. However, I understand your answer: "It's faster the other way."

... because it took me several hours to get Firefox 96.0.3 working again. ...

I need the print dialog, too. Have to imagine this is an issue for many users.

May I ask, how did you revert back to Firefox 96.0.3? I am having trouble figuring out how to do that...

Thanks!

==

FOLLOW-UP NOTE: I found the old version here:

 https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-older-version-firefox

I sure hope all you wonderful programmers and deciders will consider restoring the option to set the system print dialog to default. Thank you for your work!

There is a help article at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-older-version-firefox Note that if you install an older version, you'll be prompted to create a new Firefox profile, so you will need to modify settings and re-install any add-ons you need. It may be worth saving the Troubleshooting Information in about:support to a file before you start. This includes a list of add-ons and modified settings such as print.tab_modal.enabled. I downloaded my older version from: https://download-installer.cdn.mozilla.net/pub/firefox/releases/96.0.3/win64/en-US/Firefox%20Setup%2096.0.3.exe It may be worth installing the older version in a different place so that you can switch between them, see help article at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/dedicated-profiles-firefox-installation

Why was the option to use the system print dialog removed? I sure hope all you wonderful programmers and deciders will restore the option to set the system print dialog to default. Thank you for your work!

I'm not sure that the developers take notice of what we post to this forum. Perhaps we should go to the "feedback" forum (https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/). But this appears to require a different login.

Why was the option to use the system print dialog removed? I sure hope all you wonderful programmers and deciders will restore the option to set the system print dialog to default. Thank you for your work!

All of the old code for the separate Print Preview/Page Setup/Print was removed. There is a bug on file to add a new method to bypass the overlay and go directly to the system dialog. That won't arrive for at least another 4 weeks (Firefox 98), and I'm not sure it will be in that version.

For now, you have an extra click.

I'm not sure that the developers take notice of what we post to this forum. Perhaps we should go to the "feedback" forum (https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/). But this appears to require a different login.

It is a different login. If you use a social account or create an account for the site, you can comment and vote on this one: https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/750302 (not the best named feedback, but...).

Removing this feature is just stupid.

I have a report that I need to print daily that is basically a text document that different parts go to different people so I need to be able to print by selection which can only be done by the system dialog. It adds an extra click for each part I need to print, some days that is 3 or 4, others it may be 20+.

At least with Chrome & Edge you can hit Ctrl-Shift-P to get directly to the system dialog.

You can print by selection using a new dialog - since version 88.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1696574

I have a report that I need to print daily that is basically a text document that different parts go to different people so I need to be able to print by selection which can only be done by the system dialog.

Good news -- printing selections is one of the actual improvements. After you make your selection, right-click, and you should find Print Selection near the top of the context menu.

That pre-populates Selection in the Format section of the setup panel, and the preview should match your selection for confirmation.

Does that work on your Firefox?

Note: If Selection is marked in the Format section of the setup panel, nothing you do in the Print Ranges section of the system dialog can override that, at least in Firefox 97.0. Hopefully in the future this can be adjusted so everything syncs up.