Sometimes, we face the necessity to print out our work in Microsoft Excel as hardcopy. But it has a certain default dimension as a print area. Questions may arise if it is possible to change the print area in Excel. If possible, then how to change print area in Excel? Well, you will have all the answers along with the methods on how to change print area in Excel in this article. Just go through the whole article.
How to Change Print Area in Excel: 7 Smart Ways
In reply to the question of whether it is possible to change the print area in Excel, I would like to say a big Yes. It is certainly possible with different smart ways. I am going to explain 7 smart ways to change print area in Excel. Let’s march forward.
1. Use Set Print Area Command to Change Print Area in Excel
We can change the print area in Excel with the help of the Set Print Area command. For this, follow the following sequence of commands.
With the execution of the instructions, I have changed the print area to B4:F14.
We can testify it from the Print Preview option. For this, go to the File tab and click on Print.
We will have our desired area in the Print Preview section.
2. Change Print Area in Excel by Adding Cells
We can add cells to the previously defined print area. For this, we can use the Add to Print Area option.
With the help of the method mentioned above, I have defined a print area ranging from B4 to E14. We can see that in the Print Preview section.
Now, We like to add cells from B15 to E19 to that print area.
For this, go according to the following instruction.
By pressing CTRL + P, we can see from Print Preview that B4 to E14 cells are successfully added to the print area.
Read More: How to Extend Print Area in Excel
3. Customize Page Break to Change Print Area in Excel
If we click on Page Break Preview, our entire data will be separated according to the default print area. We can drag the page break line to change the print area.
First of all, go to the View tab and click on Page Break Preview.
Then, we will have page 1 separated from page 2 with a page break line. This line defines the print area of the first page.
We can click on CTRL + P and see the print area from Print Preview.
To change the print area, drag the page break line to define your print area. I have dragged it to the last column.
You can go to Print Preview again to testify about your print area.
4. Change Page Orientation to Change Print Area in Excel
A method on the topic of how to change print area in Excel is to change the page orientation. It changes the print area.
There are two types of page orientation in Excel.
- Portrait
- Landscape
We can select the Portrait mode from the Orientation option under the Page Layout tab.
From Print Preview, we can see that we can print till the F column (i.e. Date of Release) in Portrait.
We can change the orientation to landscape by selecting Landscape from Orientation.
This time we can see in Print Preview that the print area also included column G (i.e. Price) as the print area got changed.
5. Use Page Setup Dialog Box Option to Change Print Area
We can also change the print area in Excel from the Page Setup dialog box.
To open the Page Setup dialog box, go to the Page Layout tab and select Print Titles.
We will have a wizard named Page Setup. Now, click on Sheet and define the range in the Print area. Click OK to finish the process.
We can see the exact area in the Print Preview section.
6. Customize Range from Name Manager to Change Print Area
With the help of Name Manager, we can also change the print area in Excel. But for this process, we must have a previously set name range.
We can change a print area with the following process which will also create a name range.
To change the print area from Name Manager, click on Name Manager from Formulas first.
Then, select the defined name and click on Edit from the Name Manager wizard.
Set your required range from Refers to that you want to have as print area and click on OK.
We can see our changed print area in the Print Preview section.
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7. Use VBA to Change Print Area as Active Sheet in Excel
The smartest way to change the print area as the active sheet in Excel is to use the VBA code. It should be remembered that you need to set a print area first in the active sheet.
To set a print area first in the active sheet, follow the instructions mentioned below.
Now, go to the Developer tab and click on Visual Basic to appear Visual Basic Editor.
Click on Module from the Insert tab.
Now, write the following code in that module and press F9 to run that code.
Sub PrintAreaCustomization()
Dim Active_PrintArea As String
Active_PrintArea = ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintArea
For Each Worksheet In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
If Worksheet.Name <> ActiveSheet.Name Then
Worksheet.PageSetup.PrintArea = Active_PrintArea
End If
Next
End Sub
Now, go to Print Preview of any of the worksheets of that file. You will have the same print area in Print Preview.
Problems with Solutions That You Might Face to Change Print Area in Excel
1. Unable to Set Print Area in Excel
Sometimes, Excel cannot identify the print area that you have defined. The Print Area field displays some unusual ranges, but not the ones you’ve specified.
Solution: Clean the previous print area and set up a new one.
2. Some Columns Not Getting Printed
If we choose too many columns, then some columns might not get printed in Excel.
Solution: The column width might exceed the paper width. In that case, we need to adjust the columns on one page. To make adjustments on one page, set the Width and Height to 1 page from the Page Layout tab.
3. Print Area Printing on Multiple Pages
Although I want a 1-page printout, several pages are getting printed.
Solution: Select a proper print area. Also, remember that non-adjacent cell ranges get printed on different pages. Therefore, make the cell range adjacent to get printed on one page.
Read More: [Fixed!] Excel Set Print Area Not Working
How to Set Certain Rows or Columns on Every Page While Printing in Excel
We can set certain rows or columns fixed on every page while printing in Excel. It’s not that difficult. You just have to open the Page Setup dialog box and defined the fixed rows or columns.
To do so, go to Print Titles from the Page Layout tab.
Then, fix the columns from the Columns to repeat at left section and click OK.
We can see the fixed column on both pages in the Print Preview section.
How to Clear Print Area in Excel
Just by following the clicking sequence mentioned below, we can clear the print area in Excel.
How to Ignore Print Area in Excel
In times of necessity, we can ignore the print area in Excel too. For this, go to the Print section from File.
Then, click on Print Active Sheets and choose the Ignore Print Area option.
Read More: How to Delete Extra Pages in Excel
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What to do when my Excel format is not printing?
If your Excel format is not printing, then you can use the following techniques to do the task:
- Make sure your print area is properly selected. Sometimes clearing the print area and setting up a new print area will help you to get rid of the problem.
- Check your printer settings properly. Be sure that your printer is connected to your computer and that the printer is in a good state.
- Check your page orientation and adjust your margin.
- If none of the above works, you can use a PDF printer. For this, you have to save the Excel file in PDF format, and then print it out.
2. How do I print Excel Sheets so it’s readable?
In order to make readable sheets, we can follow the following techniques.
- Adjust the Page Orientation.
- Adjust the Print Area.
- Adjust the Margins and Scaling.
- See the print preview, and make some necessary adjustments.
3. How to Set Multiple Print Areas in Excel?
If you want to set multiple print areas on different pages in Excel, select a print area first and select other print areas by keep pressing the CTRL button. Then, click Set Print Area from the Page Layout tab and see the outcomes in Print Preview.
4. How to Set Multiple Print Areas on One Page in Excel?
If you want to set multiple print areas on one page in Excel, copy a print area and paste it as a Linked Picture from Paste Special in a new sheet. Similarly, copy as many print areas as you need and paste them as Linked Picture from Paste Special in that new sheet. Now, go to Print Preview to testify all the print areas on one page.
5. How to Lock Print Area in Excel?
If you want to lock a print area in Excel, VBA is the simplest and most effective way to do so. Just apply the following VBA code with your worksheet name and print area and run the code.
Private Sub Workbook_BeforePrint(Cancel As Boolean)
Worksheets("Sheet_Name").PageSetup.PrintArea = "Print_Area"
End SubDownload Practice Workbook
You can download the practice workbook from here.
Conclusion
In the above sections, I have tried to explain 7 smart ways how to change print area in Excel, problems that you might face along with solutions, and other related things regarding changing the print area. Based on your preference and necessity, you can choose any of the methods. I hope this article will be helpful for you if you are looking to change the print area in Excel. For any further questions, please comment below. You can also visit our site for more Excel-related articles.
