Excel: how to print a sheet to fit on one page
Few things are more irritating than printing a spreadsheet and finding that one column has spilled onto a second page. Excel has a setting that shrinks everything to fit, and you do not need to resize anything yourself.
Fit everything on one page
- Click the Page Layout tab.
- In the Scale to Fit group, set Width to 1 page.
- Set Height to 1 page if you want it all on a single sheet. Choose Automatic if you only mind about the width, as long sheets can then run over several pages.
You can also do it from print preview: press Ctrl+P, find the scaling option near the bottom of the settings and choose Fit Sheet on One Page or Fit All Columns on One Page.
Switch to landscape
Wide spreadsheets usually fit better sideways. On Page Layout, click Orientation and choose Landscape.
Print only part of the sheet
- Select the cells you want.
- On Page Layout, click Print Area, then Set Print Area.
To go back to printing everything, choose Clear Print Area.
Repeat headings on every page
On Page Layout, click Print Titles. In Rows to repeat at top, click the box and then click the row number holding your headings. Click OK.
Check before you print
Always press Ctrl+P first. The preview on the right shows exactly what will come out. If the writing looks tiny, tidying the sheet may help. Hide columns you do not need, or choose a larger paper size such as A3 if your printer can handle it.
Page Break Preview
On the View tab, choose Page Break Preview to see blue lines showing where pages break. You can drag the lines to change them. Click Normal to go back.
Common problems
- The text is too small: you are probably fitting too many columns on one page. Trim some columns first.
On a Mac the Page Layout tab is in the same place.
When to get more help
If printing still fails or comes out wrong, the issue may be with the printer rather than Excel, so contact us.