In daily office work, printing an Excel spreadsheet is an operation that we often have to perform. However, many users often encounter problems such as truncated content, redundant blank pages or disordered layout when printing. Mastering the setting skills of the printing area can not only save paper and time, but also make the printed reports more professional and clear. This blog will comprehensively analyze the setting methods of the print area in Excel, from basic operations to advanced techniques, to help you thoroughly solve printing problems.
Table of Contents:
1. Set the Print Area
2. Clear Print Area
1. Expand the Print Area
2. Set Multiple Discontinuous Print Areas
3. Set Repeating Header Rows / Columns
What is the Print Area and Its Importance
After processing data with Excel in daily life, sometimes we need to print out the tables. Have you ever encountered such a problem: you only want to print a certain part of the table, but the printer outputs a bunch of blank pages or prints out irrelevant data at the same time? This is precisely the problem that the concept of "print area" needs to address.
The print area is the specific range of cells you wish to print out in an Excel worksheet. If the print area is not set, the printer will print the entire Excel table by default. In fact, setting the print area is like telling Excel and your printer directly: "Please only print this section."
The importance of setting the print area is mainly reflected in two aspects:
- Improving Printing Efficiency and Saving Costs: Precisely limiting the printing range can effectively prevent the waste of paper and toner/ink. Especially when printing large tables, it can prevent the accidental printing of irrelevant rows and columns, saving precious office resources.
- Ensure the Accuracy and Professionalism: By setting the print area, you can ensure that the printed document only contains the key data and charts that need to be presented. Your report or material will thus appear concise and professional.
How do I Set the Print Area in Excel — Basic Steps
We will introduce the basic steps for setting up the print area, which can handle most daily scenarios. You can watch the following video and combined with our detailed steps to operate.
1. Set the Print Area
- Select the cells that you wish to print.
- Then go to the "Page Layout" tab.
- Click on "Print Area" option.
- Click on ''Set Print Area" option.
- If you go to the ''View" tab up, and click on the ''Page Print Review", you'll see how the selected area is distributed on pages.
- If your print area is vast and distributed on multiple pages, you can drag the blue line between different pages to adjust the distribution of data.
- If you want to change the page orientation, please go to the "Page Layout" tab and set the orientation to "Portrait" or "landscape".
- Finally, please go to the ''File'' button and then click on the "Print" option. You can see a print preview. When you press Ctrl + P on your keyboard, you also can get a print preview.
- After confirming that the printing area is as you expected it to be, you can proceed with the printing settings, such as selecting a printer and setting the number of copies to be printed.
2. Clear the Print Area
If you want to print the complete excel file after setting the print area and saving the file, you first need to clear the print area. The specific steps are as follows:
- Click on the Page Layout tab in the ribbon at the top of the Excel window.
- In the “Page Layout” group, click “Print Area”. From the drop-down menu, select “Clear Print Area”.
- Click “File” > “Print” or use the shortcut key Ctrl+P to print.
- By following these few simple steps, you can achieve printing a complete Excel file.
- In addition, you can also use the Ctrl+P shortcut key to bring up the print page and check "Ignore print area" to achieve this effect.
How do I Set the Print Area in Excel — Advanced Tips
1. Expand the Print Area
If you want to add new data in the selected print area, please follow these steps:
- Return to the normal view and click on the grid icon marked "Normal" in the lower right corner of the page.
- Please note: The rows or columns you want to add must be adjacent to the previously selected print area.
- Then select the area that you want to add.
- Open the "Page Layout" tab and click on "Add to Print Area" option.
- Finally, go to the "File" tab and then click the "Print" option. You can see the added print area
2. Set Multiple Discontinuous Print Areas
To print several different parts of an Excel file, you can select multiple print areas through the following methods:
- Select the first area, hold down the Ctrl key and select other areas.
- Go to the "Page Layout" tab > "Page Settings" > "Print Area” > “Set Print Area”. (Same as Set the Print Area)
- Multiple printing areas have already been set up. Each print area will be printed on a different page.
- Please note: This only applies to non-continuous areas. Adjacent areas, even if selected separately, will be included in a single print area. You can make the areas not adjacent by adding blank rows or columns in the table.
3. Set Repeating Header Rows / Columns
When you want to repeat a row or column to make the printed table more professional, you can take the following steps:
- Go to the "Page Layout" tab and click on “Print Titles”
- There are two options: “Rows to repeat at top” and “Columns to repeat at left”.
- Please select the repeated columns or rows according to your needs.
- Click the icon to the right of the corresponding option, and then select the row or column you want to repeat.
- Finally, click the "OK" button at the lower right corner of the window to complete the process.
- Similarly, you can check the setting effect and print it on the preview page.
FAQs about Setting the Print Area in Excel
1. Why are additional blank pages printed after the print area is set?
This might be caused by hidden rows and columns, excessive page margins, or abnormal positions of page breaks. Please go to "View" > "Page Print Review" and check if the blue line range contains any extra areas. You can also try checking hidden rows and columns or adjusting the page margins.
2. How can I print only some rows in an Excel file?
If you only want to print some rows, there is no need to set complex print areas. First, please filter out the rows you want to print. Then, press the shortcut key Ctrl+P, check "Ignore Print Area" under "Print", and you can print only the rows you have filtered out.
3. If discontinuous printing areas are set, how to control that each area prints at a different location on the same page instead of on a different page?
By default, Excel prints discontinuous areas on different pages. If it needs to be on the same page, it can only be adjusted manually. You can copy and paste several areas into the same consecutive area in a new Excel file. In addition, you can also adjust the page orientation/zoom ratio to make all areas fit within one page.
4. Why does the print area fail the next time the file is opened after setting and saving the print area?
This might be due to an issue with the file saving format. If the file is saved as a PDF or web page format (.html) and then re-edited with Excel, the print area will be lost. Therefore, please be sure to save in the standard Excel format (.xlsx or .xls).
Conclusion
Mastering the setting skills of the Excel print area is a compulsory course for every office worker to enhance the efficiency and professionalism of document output. Understanding and flexibly applying advanced features such as print area expansion, multi-section printing, and repeating header rows / columns will enable you to handle various printing needs with ease. You can truly achieve full-process control from data processing to result output. By integrating the techniques introduced in this blog into your daily office practice, you can not only optimize the printing process but also significantly enhance the quality of your work presentation. This can make every printed form of yours an exquisite work that showcases your professional quality.
You May Also Want to Know:
