Google Docs Does Not Print Tables

Fusion Tables is a feature that was introduced into the free Google Docs suite of productivity tools in September 2011. Tables help people publish and visualize data in different ways. You can use a table to plot data on a map, a timeline or in a chart. Google's take on tables lets multiple users share and combine data with other people, since all the tables are hosted online in the Google Docs ecosystem.

New Table

To create a new Fusion Table in Google Docs, sign into your Google account at docs.google.com, then click the "Create" button on the left-hand column and click the "Table" option from the menu list. You are presented with three options to create a new table. You can upload data from your computer, import data from a Google Spreadsheet or create an empty table. After making your selection, click the "Next" button where the main table screen appears. You can add new data to the table at any time.

No Print Option

Other Google Docs apps allow you to print documents easily. However, Google appears to have intentionally left out an option to print data from the Fusion Tables you create. Normally, this option would be found under the "File" menu, but it's not there. Your best option to print Google Docs tables is to use the browser's built-in print feature.

Browser Print

Every Web browser gives the option to print documents viewed on the Internet. It doesn't matter if the website allows the print feature or not, your browser can still print the page. You will find the "Print" option listed under the "File" menu at the top of the browser. Alternatively, some browsers let you right-click the page and select the "Print" option from a pop-out menu. You should use this method to print your Fusion Tables on Google Docs.

Google Table Alternative

An alternative to Google's Fusion Tables is Google Spreadsheets, which is also a free app on the Google Docs productivity platform. You can store data in cells across rows and down columns. A collection of data can be plotted on a chart or calculated in a cell. Most important, documents created with Google Spreadsheets are printable through the app's interface.