How to Change Print Area in Excel

If you are an Excel user, you know how important it is to print your data. Sometimes, however, you may notice that only a portion of your data is printed, or worse still, there are blank pages. These issues can be frustrating, especially if you are dealing with large data sets. Fortunately, changing the print area in Excel is a simple fix that can help you print only what you need. In this post, we will walk you through the easy steps to change the print area in Excel, so you can be sure that you are printing everything you need without wasting paper or ink.

What is Print Area in Excel?

Print area is the specific range of a worksheet that you want to print. It is the area on your worksheet that includes the columns and rows you want to print. By setting the print area, you can avoid printing unnecessary information, such as blank cells or irrelevant data, and focus only on the data you need.

How to Set Print Area in Excel

Step 1: Select Your Data

The first step to setting your print area in Excel is to select the data you want to print. Click and drag to select the range of cells that you want to print, including any row or column labels or headings.

Step 2: Click on the Page Layout tab

Once you have selected your print area, navigate to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon. Here, you will find the Print Area button.

Step 3: Select Set Print Area

Click on the Print Area button and select Set Print Area option in the drop-down menu. This will let Excel know what you want to print.

Step 4: Verify Your Print Area

To ensure that your print area is set correctly, you can use Print Preview to take a look at your sheet before printing. Click on the File tab, and then select Print. From here, you can preview your print area by clicking on the Preview pane. If everything looks good, you can click Print.

How to Clear Print Area in Excel

If you want to stop printing a specific area and go back to printing the entire worksheet, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the Page Layout tab

First, navigate back to the Page Layout tab.

Step 2: Click on Clear Print Area

Next, locate the Clear Print Area button, which is in the same menu as the Set Print Area option. Click on the drop-down arrow and select this option to clear your print area.

In Conclusion

Now that you know how to set and clear print areas in Excel, you can print only the data you need and save yourself time and resources. Take advantage of these tips and streamline your printing process today.

Maximizing Your Print Area Efficiency

Now that you’ve learned how to set and clear your print area in Excel, it’s worth mentioning several other tips that can help maximize efficiency when printing:

Use page layout preview

With page layout preview, you can check the appearance of your print area before printing. To use this feature, click on the Page Layout tab and select the Page Layout View button. From here, you can adjust margins and headers and footers as necessary.

Fit to page

If your worksheet is too large or too small for printing on standard paper sizes, Excel’s “Fit to” feature can help. This feature shrinks or enlarges your content to fit on one page. To use it, click on the Page Layout tab, select the Print Area button, and then select Set Print Area. Next, click on the Page Setup option, select the “Fit to” option under the Scaling section, and set your desired number of pages wide and tall.

Optimize Column and Row Width

To optimize your printing output, make sure to adjust the column and row width to remove the excess white space between data. The third option under the Print Area button is the “Clear Print Area”, which you can use to reset any adjustments that you have made.

Print Titles on each page

When printing a multi-page worksheet, it can be helpful to print the titles of your rows and columns on each page. To do this, navigate to the Page Layout tab, click on the Print Titles button, and create your specific title.

Final Thoughts

The ability to set print areas in Microsoft Excel can save you a lot of time, reduce printing errors, and make your data more readable and presentable. If you have not used this feature before, we encourage you to try it out. By following these easy steps, you can streamline your printing process and make your worksheets more effective.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about changing print area in Excel:

1. How do I print multiple areas of an Excel sheet?

You can print multiple areas of an Excel sheet by setting multiple print areas. To do this, hold down the Ctrl button and select the noncontiguous ranges of cells you want to print. Once you have your desired selection, follow the same steps outlined earlier: navigate to the Page Layout tab, click on Print Area, and select Set Print Area.

2. How can I include cell borders in my print area?

To include cell borders in your print area, navigate to the Page Layout tab and click on the Print Area button. From here, select “Set Print Area”, then navigate to the “Page Setup” section and click on the “Sheet” tab. Under the “Print” section, check the “Gridlines” option.

3. Is there a way to preview my print area before printing?

Yes, there is a way to preview your print area before printing. Click on the “File” tab and select “Print Preview” to take a look at your sheet before printing. You can also use the “Page Layout Preview” feature by clicking on the “Page Layout” tab and selecting “Page Layout View”.

4. What if my worksheet is too large to fit on one page?

If your worksheet is too long to fit on one page, you can adjust the page layout. Navigate to the “Page Layout” tab, click on the “Print Area” button, and select “Set Print Area”. From here, click on the “Page Setup” button and adjust your scaling to “Fit to” the desired number of pages.

5. How can I change the order of my pages when printing?

If you are printing a multi-page worksheet and need to change the order of the pages, click on the “File” tab and select “Print”. From here, click on the “Page Setup” button and select “Page Order”. Under “Page Order”, choose how you want to arrange your pages (by rows or by columns), and then select “OK” to apply the changes.