Excel is the most useful tool to deal with massive datasets. We can perform myriads of tasks of multiple dimensions in Excel. While working in Excel, we often need to print the datasheet for our convenience. But sometimes, the print area does not function properly in Excel. Often, the print area is grayed out in Excel. In this article, I will discuss the problem in detail and give 2 easy solutions to this problem.
An Overview of the Problem
This is the datasheet that I am going to use to explain the problem in detail. There are some products and respective sales amounts.
When I tried to set the print area, I found out that the print area was grayed.
This is the problem for today’s article.
Reasons:
This may occur due to 2 reasons. They are,
- Someone has grouped multiple sheets. For instance, Product and Employee sheets are grouped.
- Someone saved the file with grouped sheets.
Print Area Is Grayed Out in Excel: 2 Easy Solutions
In this section, I will discuss 2 solutions to the problem. Let’s learn about them step by step.
1. Ungroup Sheets Using Mouse
The first solution is to ungroup the sheets using your mouse. In our problem, we have two sheets that we need to ungroup. Let’s do it step by step.
Steps:
- Take your cursor on any one of these sheets.
- Then, right-click your mouse. A menu will pop up.
- After that, select Ungroup Sheets.
- Now, you can see the Print Area is active and usable.
2. Ungroup Sheets by Selecting Another Sheet
Now, I will show another simple solution. You can also ungroup the sheets by selecting another sheet. Suppose I have another datasheet Area. I have grouped the Product and Employee datasheet and the Area is separate.
I will now ungroup the 1st two sheets using the 3rd one.
Steps:
- Take your cursor on the Area.
- Then, select it.
- Excel will ungroup the Product and Employee.
- Now, you can see the Print Area is active and usable.
Things to Remember
- Print Setup and Print Area options do not function for grouped sheets.
- You will find the Print Area in the Page Layout.
Download Practice Workbook
Download this workbook and practice while going through this article.
Conclusion
In this article, I have illustrated the problem – the print area is grayed out in Excel – and provided 2 solutions for this problem. I hope it helps everyone. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or feedback, please feel free to comment below.
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