ausdrucken

Ausdrucken is a German verb meaning to print out or produce a physical copy of a digital document or image. It is commonly used in everyday and professional contexts when a user sends content to a printer to obtain a hard copy. The verb is separable: in present tense you say ich drucke das Dokument aus, and in past tense ich habe das Dokument ausgedruckt.

Etymology and related terms: ausdrucken is formed from drucken (to print) with the prefix aus-, indicating the outward result. The related noun Ausdruck can mean either a printout (a tangible copy) or, in a broader sense, an expression or formulation. This can lead to confusion with the verb ausdrücken, which means to express or convey something, such as Gefühle oder Gedanken ausdrücken (to express feelings or thoughts).

Usage and examples: ausdrucken is used when referring to producing a physical copy from a computer, smartphone, or other device. Examples include printing tickets, receipts, reports, or photos. In the workflow, users typically choose print settings (pages, copies, color, paper size) and then execute the print command. In German-speaking regions, ausdrucken appears in software interfaces, help texts, and office communication.

Variations and informal usage: in everyday language, the English loanword printen is sometimes heard informally, but ausdrucken remains the standard term in technical and formal contexts. The past participle is ausgedruckt, as in Der Bericht ist ausgedruckt.

In summary, ausdrucken denotes the act of producing a physical printout from a digital source, while care should be taken not to confuse it with ausdrücken, the verb for expressing something verbally or emotionally.