How to Print to PDF in Excel VBA : With Examples and Illustrations

In this article, I’ll show you how you can print any document to PDF using VBA in Excel. We’ll use the ExportAsFixedFormat method of VBA for this purpose. I’ll discuss all the parameters of this method with proper examples and illustrations.

Print to PDF in Excel VBA (Quick View)

Introduction to the ExportAsFixedFormat Statement

⧭ Overview:

The ExportAsFixedFormat method of VBA saves any given document in the PDF format with a given name with VBA. This is a pretty useful method for those who work with a lot of Excel worksheets and store those for future use.

⧭ Syntax:

The syntax of the VBA ExportAsFixedFormat method is:

Document.ExportAsFixedFormat Type, Filename, Quality, IncludeDocProperties, IgnorePrintAreas, From, To, OpenAfterPublish

⧭ Parameters:

⧭ Return Value:

It converts the worksheets of an Excel workbook as a PDF document and saves it to the specified folder with the specified name.

Print to PDF in Excel VBA with the ExportAsFixedFormat Statement: 5 Examples

Let’s explore a few examples of how to print a document to PDF in Excel VBA with the ExportAsFixedFormat method.

Example 1: Print to PDF in Excel VBA with No Name or Path Specified

Here we have a worksheet with the book records of a bookshop called Marin Bookstore.

Let’s write a simple VBA code to convert the worksheet to a PDF document, specifying no name or path.

⧭ VBA Code:

Sub Print_To_PDF()

ActiveSheet.ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF

End Sub

⧭ Output:

Run this code, and you’ll find a PDF file with the same name as your workbook (Default name when no name is specified) in the same folder with your workbook (Default folder as no path is specified).

Here it’s named as Book1.pdf as the name of my workbook was Book1.

Example 2: Print to PDF in Excel VBA with Name and Path Specified

Now we’ll convert the same workbook to another PDF file specifying the name and the path.

I will save the PDF with the name “Martin Bookstore.pdf” in path C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy on my computer. So the VBA code will be:

⧭ VBA Code:

Sub Print_To_PDF()

ActiveSheet.ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF, _
                                Filename:="C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy\Martin Bookstore.pdf"

End Sub

⧭ Output:

This code will save the PDF document in the path C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy on my computer with the name Martin Bookstore.pdf.

Example 3: Print to PDF in Excel VBA with Opening the File after Publishing

Now we’ll print the document to PDF in such a way that the file is opened after being published. We’ve to set the OpenAfterPublish parameter to True.

So the VBA code will be,

⧭ VBA Code:

Sub Print_To_PDF()

ActiveSheet.ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF, _
                                Filename:="C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy\Martin Bookstore.pdf", _
                                OpenAfterPublish:=True

End Sub

⧭ Output:

This code will save the PDF document in the path C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy on my computer with the name Martin Bookstore.pdf and open the file as soon as it’s published.

Example 4: Print Multiple Worksheets to Multiple PDF Files in Excel VBA

Up till now, we’ve printed a single worksheet. This time we’ll print multiple worksheets to multiple PDF files.

Here we’ve got a workbook with 5 worksheets, each containing the book record of a particular bookstore.

This time we’ll convert all the worksheets to PDF files.

The VBA code will be:

⧭ VBA Code:

Sub Print_Multiple_Sheets_To_PDF()

Sheet_Names = InputBox("Enter the Names of the Worksheets to Print to PDF: ")
Sheet_Names = Split(Sheet_Names, ", ")

For i = LBound(Sheet_Names) To UBound(Sheet_Names)
    Worksheets(Sheet_Names(i)).ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF, _
                                                   Filename:="C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy\" + Sheet_Names(i) + ".pdf"
Next i

End Sub

⧭ Output:

Run the code. An input box will ask you to enter the names of the worksheets to convert to PDF. Here I’ve entered Joseph Bookstore, Morgan Bookstore, Angela Bookstore.

Click OK. And it’ll save them as PDF files in the folder C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy.

Example 5: Developing a User-Defined Function to Print to PDF File in Excel VBA

Finally, I’ll show you how you can develop a user-defined function to print any worksheet to PDF with Excel VBA.

Let’s develop a function called PrintToPDF that’ll print the active worksheet into a PDF file.

The VBA code will be:

⧭ VBA Code:

Function PrintToPDF()

ActiveSheet.ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF, _
                                Filename:="C:\Users\Public\ExcelDemy\Martin Bookstore.pdf"

End Function

⧭ Output:

Enter this function in any cell of your worksheet.

Then click ENTER. It’ll convert the active sheet (Martin Bookstore here) to a PDF file in the specified folder.

Read More: Excel VBA: ExportAsFixedFormat PDF with Fit to Page

Things to Remember

While developing the codes, most of the time we’ve used the ActiveSheet object of VBA. It returns the worksheet that’s is active at that moment in the active workbook.

Also sometimes we’ve used the property ActiveSheet.Name. It returns the name of the active worksheet.

Download Practice Workbook

Download this practice workbook to practice while you are reading this article.

Conclusion

So this is the way to print any worksheet to PDF with VBA in Excel. Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask us.

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