Learn how to print in Excel with ease. Printing can be controlled through the PAGE LAYOUT tab.
Page Setup Group
1. Margins
Use the Margins options to control the amount of space around the printed area
The defaults are: Normal, Wide, and Narrow
Custom Margins may also be defined
2. Orientation
Use the Orientation options to switch between Portrait or Landscape (sideways)
3. Size
Size options can be used to select paper size
4. Print Area
By default, when a worksheet is printed, all non-blank cells are printed
Print Area options can be used to define a specific area to print
To Print only a specific area of a Worksheet:
- Select the area to be printed
- Select Set Print Area from the Print Area drop-down
- Print the worksheet
Note: Once defined, an additional range can be added to the print area from the Print Area drop-down
To Clear the Print Area:
Select Clear Print Area from the Print Area drop-down
5. Breaks
By default Excel inserts page breaks where it feels they would best fit
However, Page Breaks can be inserted manually, as well
To manually insert a Page Break:
- Select the row or column where the new page will begin
- Select Insert Page Break from the Breaks drop-down
To Delete a Page Break:
- Select the row or column that begins the page
- Select Remove Page Break from the Breaks drop-down
Note: By selecting Reset All Page Breaks from the Breaks drop-down will return to the default setting
6. Background
Click the Background button to add a picture as the background of your the spreadsheet
7. Print Titles
If a worksheet splits into multiple pages when printing, the column or row labels will be lost, which makes it difficult to read the printed worksheet.
Use Print Titles to select rows or columns to repeat on every page
To Add Print Titles:
- Click the Print Titles command
- Click in Rows to Repeat at Top and click and drag through the row(s) in the worksheet that contains headings
- Click in Columns to Repeat at Left and click and drag through the column(s) in the worksheet that contains headings
- Click OK
Scale to Fit group
1. Scale to Fit
Having the worksheet print on one page is a common requirement, which Excel makes easy with its Scale to Fit option
To have Excel scale the worksheet for printing based on the number of pages:
- Select the number of pages across to print on in the Width drop-down (most common)
- Select the number of pages down to be print on in the Height drop-down (least common)
To Manually Scale the Worksheet for Printing:
- Select the desired percentage to print in the Scale options
Sheet Options group
Excel allows the printing of Gridlines (in lieu of or in addition to Borders) as well as Headings which are the blocks with the column letters and row numbers
To Add Gridlines or Headings:
Select the Print check box for the desired option
Page Layout View
Excel 2007 introduced the Page Layout view that displays how the printed page will appear without having to select Print Preview
This also allows data to be edited, along with Headers and Footers right in the worksheet
There are 3 ways to access the Page Layout View
- View Tab > Workbook Views Group > Page Layout Command
- Insert Tab > Text Group > Header & Footer Command
- Status Bar > View Bar > Page Layout View Button
Page Layout View displays all the Page Setup options selected as well as the Header and Footer areas at the top and bottom of each page
In both the Header and Footer, there are three defined areas:
- Left 1/3 which is left-justified
- Center 1/3 which is center-justified
- Right 1/3 which is right-justified
Since the Header and Footer appear on all pages, they can be added or edited on any of the page
To Add a Header or Footer:
- Click in the Header area and the Header & Footer Tools Ribbon appears
- Add a pre-defined Header or Footer in that area using the Header or Footer drop-down
- Click to add any Header & Footer Element (use the Format Picture option to correct size)
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