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Printing your worksheets

Controlling what will print and how

There are three commands that you will use to print:

  • Print : specify how many copies, which printer, etc.
  • Page Setup: control how the pages will look—reduction, enlargement, page headers and footers, print titles, etc.
  • Print Preview: see an example of the printed page on screen

These commands are in the File menu. They are also linked to each other with buttons. For example, in the Print Preview window, you will see buttons for the Print and Setup commands.



Print heading rows or columns on every page
  1. Choose File → Page Setup.
  2. Select the Sheet tab.
  3. Click in the Columns to Repeat text box (or Rows to Repeat).
  4. If you can’t see the column or row headings (the numbers or letters), drag the dialog box out of the way (drag its title bar).
  5. Select the column(s) (or rows(s)) you want to repeat on the left side of every page. Click to select one column (row) or drag to select multiple columns (rows).


Set page breaks visually
  1. Choose View → Page Break Preview.
  2. Drag borders of the page to control page breaks.
  3. Select areas, right-click and choose Add to Print Area to create additional pages.


Insert page breaks
  1. In the Page Break Preview view, right-click on the row, column, or cell where you want a new page to begin.
  2. Choose Insert Page Break.


Remove a page break you created
  1. In the Page Break Preview view, right-click the row, column, or cell after the page break (the same selection you made to set the page break).
  2. Choose Remove Page Break.


Printing tips
  • To print, choose File → Print. To print just one area of your worksheet, select it first. Then choose File ? Print and click Selection. (Try using a named range!)
  • To turn gridlines off of your printouts, choose File ? Page Setup. Select the Sheet tab. Clear the Gridlines check box.
    To turn gridlines off of the on-screen view of your worksheet, you choose Tools ? Options, and select the View tab.


Printing Formulas and Functions

There are several options for how to view your formulas and functions on an Excel worksheet:

  • View (and print) your formulas by choosing Tools → Options and clicking the View tab. Select Formulas.
  • For more advanced formula views, turn on Formula Auditing. Choose Tools ? Formula Auditing ? Formula Auditing Mode (shortcut: ctrl+'). Use the Formula Auditing toolbar to Trace Precedents and Trace Dependents to see what "goes into" each formula and where each cell "goes", math-wise.