How to Print and Fit to One Page in Excel (10 Easy Methods)

Printing data from Excel spreadsheets is a common requirement in various professional and personal scenarios. We have to ensure that the printed output appears neat and fits well. In this tutorial, you will learn to print a worksheet to fit on one page in Excel.
We all work with data in an Excel spreadsheet. But, when you have a large Excel worksheet, it is difficult to fit them into one page. Here comes the necessity of our today’s topic.
In this article, we’ll show how to print and fit to one page in Excel using different methods for various scenarios. This tutorial will be on point with suitable examples and proper illustrations. So, let’s go through the entire part to get a strong hold on this topic.

How to Print to Fit Page Excel: 10 Easy Ways

For ease of understanding, we are going to utilize a Comprehensive Employee Dataset. This dataset includes Employee ID, Full Name, Department, Job Title, Gender, Hire Date, and Annual Salary under columns B to H.

Note: This is a basic dataset to keep things simple. In a practical scenario, you may encounter a much larger and more complex dataset.

But, whenever you go to the Print Preview window, you can see that several columns got excluded. So, if we print this sheet, on the first page, this portion will be present only.

Now, we’ll utilize this dataset to show how to print and fit to one page in Excel using multiple methods. So, let’s explore them one by one.
Not to mention, here, we have used the Microsoft Excel 365 version; you may use any other version according to your convenience. Please leave a comment if any part of this article does not work in your version.

1. Print to Fit to One Page Using Page Setup Dialog Box

This method stands out as the symbol of effectiveness and popularity in this field. Once familiar with this approach, the realm of print customization becomes effortlessly accessible, enabling you with flawless control.

Go to the Page Layout tab. In the Page Setup group of commands, click on the tiny arrow-shaped dialog box launcher.

It’ll open the Page Setup dialog box.

Under the Page tab, check the radio button beside Fit to in the Scaling section.
By default, Excel keeps 1 in the two boxes highlighted in the following image.

From this technique, we have successfully achieved a print to fit on page result, which fits our data within a single page in Excel.

Note: However, it is important to remember that this approach may result in a reduced visual scale of your information. Excel thoroughly attempts to compress the content to fit, which can lead to a downsized representation of your data.

2. Change Scaling to Print to Fit to One Page

Now, applying this method will replicate our previous approach, which gives the adjustment of your Excel worksheet for a perfect fit on a single page. This technique proves highly advantageous in effectively scaling your printed data.

First, go to File >> Print to open the Print Preview window. Alternatively, press CTRL + P to do the same task more quickly and easily.

In the Settings section, you can see that Excel sets the No Scaling option by default.

Now, click on this Scaling option and from the drop-down list click on Fit Sheet on One Page.

Note: There are two other options below highlighted in the above image. If your sheet has more rows then you may select the Fit All Columns on One Page option.

Similar to the previous method’s output, this method also ensures to fit our worksheets print on a single page.

3. Print to Fit to One Page Adjusting Page Orientation

Basically, you have the option to select from two types of orientations when printing to fit your worksheet on one page. The first is the Portrait Orientation, which is the default in Excel. The second is the Landscape Orientation, which allows for printing more columns than rows. Depending on the dataset you are using, you have to change the orientation.

First, press CTRL + P to bring up the Print option.
Now, click on Portrait Orientation and change it to Landscape Orientation.

By changing the page orientation, you can ensure to print the spreadsheet to fit one page in Excel. This adjustment allows for Landscape mode, enabling optimal printing of the data.

4. Use Different Paper Size to Fit to One Page in Excel

Moreover, you can use different paper sizes to fit the data on one page in Excel. Usually, we use A4, Letter size papers. But in the case of a wide dataset, we could use larger-size paper.

In the Printer section, select Microsoft XPS Document Writer. Then, in the Settings section, choose A3 as Paper Size.

Excel will consolidate all the data onto a single page during the printing process.

5. Print to Fit to One Page by Modifying Margins

When printing an Excel spreadsheet, white space is present at the boundaries of each page, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing design for your printed pages. When dealing with a large Excel worksheet, one or two additional columns may be printed on a new page, along with the possibility of additional rows.
To fit the entire worksheet on a single page, you need to make slight adjustments to the page margins.

In the Settings section, you can change the Margins type. By default, there are three options. Also, you can add Custom Margins if you need.

Excel automatically adjusts the spreadsheet to fit on a single page when printing.

6. Alter Column Width or Row Height

At times, the excessive width of columns may be unnecessary. In such instances, you have the freedom to tailor the row height or column width to your preference, allowing for fitting in a single page with significant paper conservation.

Go to the View tab >> Page Layout option on Workbook Views.

Now, within the Page Layout view, drag the cursor to fine-tune the column width or row height, ensuring a perfect fit within a single page.
After that, proceed to initiate the printing process.

Again, return to Normal view to return to the original state of the document.

Occasionally, modifying the size of rows or columns may result in data being condensed and not fully visible. To address this, resolve the issue by Wrapping Text in Excel.

7. Print to Fit to One Page Through Hiding or Deleting Columns/Rows

Another viable approach to achieve a single-page fit to print for your worksheet entails hiding or deleting unwanted columns or rows. But it is not advisable to delete the rows, considering the potential need for them in the future.
However, you can optimize page space by selectively hiding the columns.
Let’s assume, we don’t need the two columns Gender and Hire Date in our printed report. In this case, you should hide them.

First, click on the column header of Column F keeping the cursor unreleased. Then, drag the cursor to Column G and release the click. This action selects these two columns.

Now, right-click on any one of the column headers to open the context menu.
Here, select the Hide option.

Look, these two columns get hidden.

Here’s the final output before your eyes.

You can choose to unhide them later, thereby displaying your complete spreadsheet dataset and optimizing space on the page significantly.

8. Minimize Font Size to Print to Fit to One Page in Excel

You can enhance the page fit of a spreadsheet by reducing the font size of specific columns, providing an alternative approach. This method empowers you to resize selected columns effectively.

Select the entire dataset (e.g. B4:H23). Then, go to the Home tab and change the Font Size to 9.

The size of fonts gets lessened significantly.

This practical technique ensures that only essential information is displayed while offering future adaptability.

9. Utilize Page Break Preview

You can use the Page Break Preview for this purpose also. It can fit the data on one page to print in Excel successfully.

Advance to the View tab >> Page Break Preview on the Workbook Views group.

You can see a dashed blue line inside the sheet. Excel considers it as one page up to this line while printing.

Click on this line and drag the line to the right-most blue solid line.

Now, the whole sheet is considered as one page at the time of printing.

10. Applying VBA Code to Print to Fit to One Page in Excel

VBA macro could be a smarter alternative to print to fit to one page in Excel.

Move to the Developer tab, then click on the Visual Basic button in the Code group.

Note: By default, the Developer tab remains hidden. You can learn to enable the Developer tab by following this linked article.

It launches the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

Now, click the Insert tab and choose Module from the list. We get a small Module window to insert our VBA code.

Here’s the working code to do the task. Paste this code into the module.

Sub fit_to_page()
Dim ws1 As Worksheet

Set ws1 = ActiveSheet

With ws1.PageSetup
    .Orientation = xlPortrait
    .Zoom = False
    .FitToPagesTall = 1
    .FitToPagesWide = 1
    .PrintArea = "B2:H23"
End With

End Sub

After completing the code script, click the green-colored play button to Run the code. You can press F5 on the keyboard to do the same task.

This level of automation not only saves time but also guarantees consistent and professional-looking printouts every time you run the code.

Benefits of Fit to One Page While Printing in Excel

Page layout of an Excel worksheet is a vital matter. It decides how the page will look after printing. So, if you have a large Excel spreadsheet, there is a chance it won’t fit one page. It may make you frustrated. There are several benefits to fitting Excel data to one page while printing:

Improved Readability: Fitting the data to one page ensures that all the content is visible and easily readable without the need for users to flip or scroll through multiple pages.
Complete Data Presentation: By fitting the data to one page, you ensure that all the columns and rows are included in the printout. This prevents the omission of any important information.
Professional Appearance: Printing data on a single page gives a more professional and polished look to your printed documents.
Reduced Paper Waste: Fitting data to one page can help reduce paper waste by minimizing the number of pages needed for printing.
Ease of Distribution: Printing data on a single page makes it easier to share with others. Whether you’re presenting data in meetings or sharing reports with colleagues or clients, a short one-page printout makes communication simpler and helps people understand the information better.

How to Print Full Excel Sheet in A4 Size Page in Landscape Orientation

To have the work in Excel, we sometimes need a hard copy. For this, we need to print the worksheet. Here, we’ll show how to print a full Excel sheet in an A4 size page in the Landscape orientation.

In the Print option, choose A4 as paper size and Landscape as orientation.

This effortlessly generates an aesthetically pleasing and print-ready output.

How to Print Selected Area Only in Excel

To print a selected portion of a large Excel worksheet, employ this method for swift and precise results. This method swiftly prints the specifically chosen area on a single page, ensuring efficient output.

Select the desired portion of the dataset (e.g. B4:E23). Then, press CTRL + P on the keyboard.

In the Settings section, from the first box, select the Print Selection option.

After fitting your dataset onto a single page, when you print it, only the selected portion will be included in the printed hard copy.

Things to Remember

Excel provides different scaling options like fitting all columns on one page, fitting all rows on one page, or fitting the entire sheet on one page. Choose the appropriate option based on your requirements.
Always preview the printout before actually printing to ensure that the data is fitting properly on the page. This helps to identify any potential formatting or layout issues that might need adjustment.
Different versions of Excel may offer varying print options. Ensure a seamless printing experience by double-checking the available options and features specific to your Excel version.
Additionally, if you encounter any issues while printing to fit to one page in Excel, consider referring to Excel documentation or seeking online support for specific troubleshooting steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does print to fit page mean in Excel?

Print to fit page in Excel means that it allows you to adjust the printing of your worksheet so that it fits within the boundary of a single page.

2. Are there any other things to keep in mind when using the Print to Fit Page feature in Excel?

Yes, it’s important to consider adjusting the page margins and orientation to improve the layout. Additionally, be aware of complex worksheets or selected ranges that might need special attention when fitting the data.

3. How can I preview the printout before printing?

Excel provides a print preview feature that allows you to see how the data will appear on the printed page before sending it to the printer. Just press CTRL + P to see that.

Download Practice Workbook

Download the following practice workbook. It will help you to realize the topic more clearly and will help you practice yourself.

Printing and Fit to Page.xlsm

Conclusion

To conclude, I hope this tutorial has provided you with a piece of useful knowledge about print and fit to one page in Excel.
We recommend you learn and apply all these instructions to your dataset. By following the step-by-step instructions provided in this reference, you can simplify the printing process, save time, and ensure that your data looks organized and professional when printed.
Download the practice workbook and try these yourself. Also, feel free to give feedback in the comment section. Your valuable feedback keeps us motivated to create tutorials like this.

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