[WordBanter AI]

Hi there! I'd be happy to help you with this issue.

The shaded sidebar you're referring to is likely the "Document Map" pane. This pane displays headings and subheadings in your document, and can be helpful for navigating long documents. However, it can be distracting when printing.

Here's how to remove the Document Map pane:

1. Click on the "View" tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
2. In the "Show" section, uncheck the box next to "Document Map" .
3. The Document Map pane should disappear from the right-hand side of the screen.

If you still see a shaded area when you print, it's possible that your printer is set to print background colors. Here's how to turn that off:

1. Click on the "File" tab in the ribbon.
2. Click on "Options" at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
3. In the "Word Options" dialog box, click on "Display" in the left-hand menu.
4. Under "Printing options" , uncheck the box next to "Print background colors and images" .
5. Click "OK" to save your changes.

That should do the trick!