- Select the cells you want to print.
- Click the Page Layout tab.
- Click the Print Area button.
- Select Set Print Area. Once a print area is set, add additional print areas by selecting the additional cells, clicking the Print Area button, and selecting Add to Print Area.
Print area in Excel is an invaluable tool in many office settings. It allows users to quickly and efficiently print a range of data from large spreadsheets, without needing to use a multitude of settings. By understanding how to use print area, you can save both time and resources when preparing documents for clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders. In this blog post, we will explore how to use print area in Excel, and why it is such a useful tool to know. We will look at where to find the print area feature, how to set up a print area, and how to adjust settings to get the desired result. Finally, we will discuss some of the advantages that come with using the print area feature, and how it can help you make the most of your Excel documents.
How to Set Print Area (Page setting for printing) in MS Excel | Step by Step Process
How to set a print area in Excel
In Excel, you can set a print area in four steps as follows:
1. Highlight the area you want to print
Find the area you want to print after opening the appropriate spreadsheet. If you have a sizable Excel spreadsheet, you can navigate to the bottom of the document by pressing the “Ctrl” key and the down arrow keys simultaneously. Press “Ctrl” and the up arrow to go to the top of the sheet. Next, you highlight the cells that you want to print. Right-click the group’s first cell with your mouse. Hold the button down while dragging the mouse to cover every cell you want to print.
2. Click the “Print Area” button
Click the “Print Area” button after selecting the desired group of cells and highlighting them. Find the “Page Layout” tab in the toolbar at the top of the window to access this option. After doing so, select “Print Area” from the menu. When this button is clicked, a window with two choices appears. Select “Set Print Area” to define the cells you’ve selected. The print area then appears in a light gray outline.
3. Include additional cells
You can add more cells if necessary to your current print area. In the same manner as before, select your cells, then select “Page Layout” and “Print Area” to increase the size of your original print area. You can now see and select the option “Add to Print Area” because you already have a print area. When you select this, the new cells are added to your print area.
4. Save and print the worksheet
You can save your worksheet after creating and editing your print areas. Save your document by choosing the “File” tab from the toolbar. Open the “File” tab and click the “Print” button. You won’t see the entire document on the preview page; instead, you’ll only see the portion that the computer will print, called the print area. Choose your preferred setting options and print the document.
What is a print area in Excel?
In Excel, a print area is a collection of cells that you choose to print. When you want to print only a portion of your spreadsheet, print areas are useful. Consider keeping a spreadsheet with your daily sales targets for a quarter. You can use a print area to only select the cells your manager needs if they ask you for your quotas for the current week. You can choose multiple areas in a spreadsheet to print at once, which is another advantage of print areas.
Print areas can also be used to improve readability and organization. When printing a spreadsheet in its entirety, formatting errors like unwanted page breaks can occasionally make it appear disorganized. You can have more control over your spreadsheets by using print areas. Depending on your profession or industry, you might create a print area for a variety of reasons. If you’re a researcher, you might, for instance, use spreadsheets to arrange data and designate a print area to provide a colleague with specific information relevant to their project.
How to use the page break method
The page break method can be used as an alternative to choosing a print area. Follow these short steps for this method:
Remember that when employing this technique, the dashed lines denote automatic page breaks. Any page breaks you add or modify yourself are indicated by solid lines.
How to clear a print area in Excel
Clear the print area in your spreadsheet’s settings after printing the cells you’ve chosen. To do this, follow these brief steps:
After completing these steps, the selected cells will no longer be highlighted, but the data in your spreadsheet will remain unchanged.
Excel print area tips
Here are some tips for Excel print areas:
Ignore a print area
Without erasing your current print areas, you can print your entire spreadsheet. To do so, choose “File” and then click the “Print” tab. Find “Settings” and click the “Print Active Sheets” drop-down menu. When you select “Ignore Print Area,” the print preview changes to show your entire spreadsheet after you click that button.
Try an alternative method
The “Page Setup” window in Excel can be used to create a print area while viewing its settings if you have trouble using another method. Click the dialog launcher, which is the small check box with an arrow in it on the “Page Layout” tab’s bottom right-hand corner. By doing so, the “Page Setup” window will open, allowing you to select the “Sheet” tab. By editing the “Print Area” text box to include the desired cells, you can alter the range of your print area. Click “OK” to accept your changes once you’re finished.
Add multiple areas at once
You can set multiple print areas simultaneously if you want to create more than one. Hold down the “Ctrl” key and select as many cell groups as you want to turn into print areas. You can highlight different areas while keeping the first range visible by pressing the “Ctrl” key. Once your chosen areas have been highlighted, repeat these steps to create a print area. Each group you created because you highlighted multiple areas becomes a new print area.
Preview your print area
By selecting the “View” tab in the toolbar, you can view a preview of every print area you currently have. Click the “Page Break Preview” button under the “Workbook Views” group. Selecting this displays the spreadsheet’s rest in gray and your print areas in white. This allows you to visualize where your print areas are. To view your print areas on separate pages, go to the “Print” page. To cycle through each preview, use the arrow buttons at the bottom of the page.
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