Difference Between print and println

2 min read ·

In Java, print and println are used to display output on the screen. The main difference between them is how they handle new lines.

System.out.print

The print method displays text but does not move the cursor to a new line after printing.
The output will appear on the same line:
Use print when you want multiple outputs on the same line.

System.out.println

The println method displays text and then moves the cursor to the next line.
Each output appears on a new line:

How New Lines Work

When println is used, Java automatically adds a newline character at the end of the output. This tells the system to move the cursor to the next line.
The print method does not add this newline, so the next output continues on the same line.
Note

You do not need to manually add a new line when using println.


Using print and println Together

You can combine both methods to control how output appears.
This gives you full control over formatting.

When to Use print

Use print when: You want output on the same line You are building a sentence piece by piece You want custom formatting

When to Use println

Use println when: You want each output on a new line You are printing lists or logs You want cleaner and readable output
Caution

Overusing print without line breaks can make output hard to read.


Goal Achieved

You now understand how new lines work in Java output and when to use print or println.

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