Introduction

In Excel, there are many things you can do to prepare your workbook for printing. Many of these tasks make it easier to format the spreadsheet for the printed page.

In this lesson, you will learn how to view the spreadsheet in Print Preview, modify margins, change the page orientation, use the Scale to Fit feature, use the Print Titles command, and insert breaks.

Preparing to print and printing

Download the example to work along with the video.

To view the spreadsheet in Print Preview:

• Left-click the Microsoft Office button .
• Select Print .
• Select Print Preview . The spreadsheet will appear in Print Preview view.

Click the Close Print Preview button to return to the Normal View.

To make previewing your spreadsheet easier, add the Print Preview command to the Quick Access toolbar.

Exploring Print Preview

Once you are in Print Preview, you can access many of the same features that you can access from the Ribbon; however, in Print Preview you can see how the spreadsheet will appear in printed format.

To modify margins, column width, or row height while in Print Preview:

• Click the Print Preview command on the Quick Access toolbar, or select Print Preview from the Microsoft Office button menu. The spreadsheet opens in Print Preview mode.
• Hover your cursor over one of the black margin markers until a double arrow appears.

• Left-click and drag the marker to the desired location. The change will be reflected in the spreadsheet.

To modify margins:

• Select the Page Layout tab.
• Left-click the Margins command.
• Choose one of the pre-defined settings, or enter custom margins.

To change page orientation:

• Select the Page Layout tab.
• Left-click the Orientation command.
• Select either Portrait or Landscape.

Portrait orients the page vertically , while Landscape orients the page horizontally .

To use Scale to Fit:

• Select the Page Layout tab.
• Locate the Scale to Fit group.
• Enter a specific height and width , or use the percentage field to decrease the spreadsheet by a specific percent.

Scale to Fit is a useful feature that can help you format spreadsheets to fit on a page. However, be careful with how small you scale the information—it can become difficult to read!

To change the paper size:

• Select the Page Layout tab.
• Click the Size command.
• Select a size option from the list.

To define a print area:

• Left-click, then drag your mouse to select the cells you wish to print.
• Click the Print Area command.
• Choose Set Print Area .

• Now, only the selected cells will print. You can confirm this by viewing the spreadsheet in Print Preview.

To return to the default setting, which is the entire worksheet, click the Print Area command, then select Clear Print Area.

To insert a break:

• Select a cell below where you want the break to appear.
• Select the Breaks command.
• Select Insert Break .

Click Print Preview to confirm that the break appears in the correct place in your spreadsheet.

To use the Print Titles command:

This is an important command to be familiar with if you intend to print your worksheets. It allows you to select specific rows and/or columns that will be repeated on each printed sheet. Imagine how difficult it would be to read page 48 of a printed spreadsheet if the column and row headings only appeared on the first page.

• Select the Page Layout tab.
• Click the Print Titles command. The Page Setup dialog box appears.
• Click the icon at the end of the field.

• Select the first row in the spreadsheet that you want to appear on each printed page .

• Repeat for the column, if necessary.
• Click OK.

To print from the Microsoft Office button:

• Left-click the Microsoft Office button .
• Select Print Print . The Print dialog box appears.

• Select a printer if you wish to use a printer other than the default setting.
• Click Properties to change any necessary settings.
• Choose whether you want to print specific pages, all of the worksheet, a selected area, the active sheet, or the entire workbook.
• Select the number of copies you'd like to print.
• Click OK .

You can select Quick Print to bypass the Print dialog box.

Challenge!

Use the Budget workbook or any Excel workbook you choose to complete this challenge.

• View the spreadsheet in Print Preview.
• Change a column width in Print Preview.
• Insert a break .
• Use the Print Titles command to print a specific row or column on each printed page. Use Print Preview to verify how this will appear.
• Print the spreadsheet.
• Explore other commands discussed in this lesson.