Getting your JW Library notes onto paper
JW Library has no print button. Export your notes as text or Markdown, paste them into any document, and print — a study journal, a set of notes for someone without the app, or an archive.
There's no way to print from JW Library, and screenshots of a phone screen make poor reading. But the notes are yours, and getting them into a printable document is straightforward once you can read the backup file.
Study Explorer reads a .jwlibrary backup in your browser and lets you copy or export any selection of notes as plain text or Markdown — which every word processor, notes app and printer already understands.
Step by step
Create a backup and open it
JW Library → Personal Study → Backup and Restore → Create a backup, then load the file at jwsync.org.
Narrow down to what you want on paper
Filter by publication, tag, highlight colour or date range, or search for a subject. Printing everything is possible, but a filtered set usually makes a far more useful document.
Copy or export as text or Markdown
Take the selection out as Markdown or plain text. Bold, italics and lists survive, so structured notes stay structured on the page.
Paste into a document and print
Any word processor or notes app will do. Set the headings and margins you want, then print or save as PDF.
Making a study journal
A date range is the natural unit for a printed journal — a year of notes, or the period covering one publication. Extracting by date gives you a clean chronological set to print or bind, which is a satisfying thing to have off-screen.
Printing for someone who doesn't use the app
Not everyone studies from a device. A printed set of notes on the current material is genuinely useful for someone who prefers paper, and it takes the same two minutes as any other export.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I print my highlights too?
- The highlights view lists the passages you've marked, and that list copies out as text alongside your notes.
- Does exporting change anything in JW Library?
- No. Exporting reads a copy of your backup; your original file and the app are untouched.