📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓
In this article
You print a sheet and get eleven pages, three of them holding a single column each, and only the first page has headers. Excel’s defaults aren’t made for reports. Five settings fix nearly every print job; set them once and save the file, and they’re remembered.
Always start in Print Preview
Press Ctrl + P. The right side shows exactly what will print and how many pages. Every setting below is available on the left of this screen or on the Page Layout tab.
1. Orientation
Wide sheets (many columns) print better in Landscape; long lists in Portrait. Page Layout › Orientation.
2. Fit all columns on one page
In Print Preview, change No Scaling to Fit All Columns on One Page. Rows still flow onto as many pages as needed, but no page has stray columns. Avoid Fit Sheet on One Page for long lists: 120 rows shrunk to one page is unreadable.
3. Print only what you need: Print Area
Select the range, Page Layout › Print Area › Set Print Area. Notes and helper columns outside it won’t print. To print just a selection once, choose Print Selection in Print Preview instead.
4. Repeat the header row on every page
Page Layout › Print Titles › Rows to repeat at top: click row 1 (it shows $1:$1). Now page 3 of the price list still has S.No, Item, HSN, Rate at the top. This is the setting most people don’t know exists.
5. Header, footer and page numbers
Page Setup › Header/Footer › Custom Footer. Useful codes:
| Code | Prints |
|---|---|
| Page &[Page] of &[Pages] | Page 2 of 3 |
| &[Date] | Today’s date |
| &[File] | File name |
| &[Tab] | Sheet name |
Put the company name in the header, page numbers and print date in the footer.
Margins, centring and gridlines
- Margins › Narrow gives more room.
- Page Setup › Margins › Center on page: Horizontally looks tidier for narrow tables.
- Gridlines don’t print by default. Either add borders to the table, or tick Page Layout › Gridlines › Print.
Page breaks
View › Page Break Preview shows blue lines where pages split. Drag them to move breaks, for example so each region starts on a new page. Page Layout › Breaks › Insert Page Break adds one above the selected row. Go back with View › Normal.
Save as PDF instead of printing
File › Save As › PDF, or choose “Microsoft Print to PDF” as the printer. All the settings above apply. Under Options you can export the entire workbook or just the selection.
Where beginners go wrong
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Last column on a page of its own | Fit All Columns on One Page |
| Headers only on page 1 | Print Titles › Rows to repeat at top |
| Blank pages at the end | Stray formatting far down; set a Print Area |
| Tiny unreadable text | Don’t fit long lists to one page; use landscape + fit to width |
Practice
Download this lesson’s workbook below. The PriceList sheet has 120 items; set it up for printing using the checklist in the READ ME, and answer the questions. Type your answers in the yellow column; the Check column turns green when you’re right, and the Answers sheet shows a working formula for every task.
📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Lesson 10 practice workbookA 120-row price list to set up for printing: fit columns, repeat headers, page numbers and PDF.⬇ XLSX · 17 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
Stuck on a step? Ask a question and the AI answers using this article.