How to Change Printing Area in Excel

If you’re looking for a simple way to change the printing area in Excel, you’ve come to the right place. Adjusting the printing area can help you print only the data you need, without wasting paper or ink. In this article, we’ll show you how to change the printing area in Excel using a few different methods. Whether you’re using Excel for work or personal projects, these steps will streamline your printing process and save you time and resources.

How to Change Printing Area in Excel

Do you often find yourself printing lots of unnecessary pages in Excel? Maybe you just need to print a few rows or columns, but your Excel sheet keeps printing an entire page. Fortunately, it’s actually straightforward to change the printing area in Excel. Below, we will outline a few different methods to change the printing area and start printing just what you need.

Method 1: Using the Set Print Area Feature

The simplest way to change the printing area in Excel is by using the Set Print Area feature. Here are the steps:

1. Select the cells you want to print by clicking and dragging the mouse over them.
2. Go to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon at the top of Excel.
3. Click on the Print Area dropdown at the top of the screen.
4. Select Set Print Area from the dropdown menu.
5. To see what cells you have selected to print, go to File > Print Preview.
6. You can adjust any margins in File > Page Setup, then hit Print.

Method 2: Using the Print Titles Feature

If you have a large dataset, it can be helpful to print column or row labels on each page. This feature is especially useful when you are printing several pages of data. Here’s how to use the Print Titles feature to change the printing area:

1. Go to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon.
2. Click on the Print Titles dropdown at the top of the screen.
3. Under the Sheet tab, you can select rows or columns to print on each page. For example, if you want to keep the row labels visible on each page, select the row(s) you would like to repeat on each page.
4. Click OK.
5. Once you’ve defined your print area, go to File > Print Preview to see what the report will look like.

Method 3: Using Page Break Preview

Using Page Break Preview is one more way to adjust printing areas. This mode allows you to view your worksheet as it will appear on the printed page, and make adjustments accordingly. Here’s how:

1. Click on the View tab in the ribbon.
2. Click on “Page Break Preview” on the ribbon.
3. A dotted line will appear, indicating where page breaks will occur.
4. To adjust the print area, click and drag the page break lines to the desired location.
5. You can also add new page breaks by dragging them from the ruler at the top or side of the worksheet.
6. Exit Page Break Preview mode by clicking on the “Normal” view on the ribbon.

Changing the printing area in Excel is essential to save resources and print only the data you need. By following the simple techniques mentioned above, you can quickly adjust the print area, and make printing your data much more efficient.

Tips for Changing the Printing Area in Excel

Now that you’ve learned how to change the printing area in Excel, you may want to consider the following tips to further customize your print job:

Tip 1: Check that all the data you need is selected

Ensure that all the data you need to print is selected while altering the print area. In case you miss a range, the data outside the area will not be printed.

Tip 2: Change Margins and Scale

You can also adjust the margins and scale of your print job. Margins can be easily changed via the Page Setup dialog box. Excel’s ‘Scale to Fit’ selection under the Print Titles feature or Page Break Preview option is another efficient method. This setting allows you to set the worksheet to print on one page or scale the print job to multiple pages without distorting the data.

Tip 3: Use Page Layout Features

Excel’s Page Layout features can help you best utilize your printed output. Use orientation options to print horizontally (landscape) or vertically (portrait). You can also set other print settings to optimize your printing experience such as print order of sheets or repeating specific rows or columns heading.

Changing the print area in Excel is an efficient way to customize your printing options. With these three methods and tips, you can improve the printing experience and save time and resources. You can apply these techniques to customize printing options to get more out of any excel sheets and your typical printing scenarios.

FAQs – How to Change Printing Area in Excel

Below are some frequently asked questions and answers about changing the printing area in Excel:

Q. What is the printing area in Excel?

A. The printing area is a defined range of cells in an Excel worksheet that you want to print. It can include all the data in a worksheet or a selected range of cells that you want to print in a report.

Q. Can I preview the print job before printing?

A. Yes, you can use the Print Preview option in Excel. This option shows you a preview of what your printed output will look like, so you can make any adjustments necessary before printing.

Q. Can I change the print area for multiple sheets at once?

A. Yes, you can change the print area for multiple sheets at once. Just select the sheets you want to apply the change to (hold CTRL while selecting) and then follow the steps to change the print area.

Q. Can I print a specific part of a cell?

A. No, you cannot print a specific part of a cell. If you want to print only a portion of a cell, you can copy and paste it into a new cell, adjust the print area to include only that cell, and then print.

Q. Is it possible to save my print settings in Excel?

A. Yes, you can save your print settings as part of your Excel workbook. Excel saves the print settings with the workbook, so they will be used every time you open and print the workbook.