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Microsoft Excel 2008

Other Printing Options

Excel provides many options for modifying how your worksheet will appear on a printed sheet. Most of these options are accessed through the Sheet tab of the Page Setup dialog box; for more information on the Sheet tab, refer to About the Excel Page Setup Dialog Box: Sheet Tab Options.

return to topPrinting Gridlines

Gridlines (outlines of each cell) will not print by default in Excel 2008. Depending on the purpose of the printout, you may or may not want to print the gridlines. For example, gridlines may be useful when you are developing a document such as a report, but you may not want the gridlines printed in the final report that you share with others.

Printing Gridlines: Dialog Box Option

  1. From the File menu, select Page Setup...
    The Page Setup dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Sheet tab
    Page Setup dialog box - Sheet tab

  3. Under Print, select Gridlines
    NOTE: The option is selected when a checkmark appears.

  4. Click OK

Printing Gridlines: Formatting Palette Option

  1. Click TOOLBOXToolbox button
    The Formatting Palette appears.

  2. If the Page Setup section is not expanded, click it
    The Page Setup section expands.
    Page Setup section

  3. In the Sheet section, for Gridlines, select Print
    NOTE: The option is selected when a checkmark appears.

return to topPrinting Row and Column Headings

When both planning and troubleshooting a worksheet, you may find it helpful to print the column (A,B,C...) and row headings (1,2,3...). The column and row headings will not print in your worksheet unless you specify it.

  1. From the File menu, select Page Setup...
    The Page Setup dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Sheet tab

  3. In the Print section, select Row and column headings
    NOTE: The option is selected when a checkmark appears.

  4. Click OK

return to topRepeating Items on Each Page

When you are working with large worksheets, repeating information (like row or column descriptions) on subsequent pages can help improve the readability of your reports. Although the headers and footers, located in the margins, can be used for adding information, they may not provide you with the flexibility that you need. In the Page Setup dialog box, you can specify print titles for both columns and rows. After print titles have been defined, row headings will appear at the left of the page and column headings will appear at the top of the page when printing a multi-page worksheet.

Setting Print Titles for a Single Row and Column

  1. From the File menu, select Page Setup...
    The Page Setup dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Sheet tab

  3. In the Print titles section, in the Rows to repeat at top text box, type an absolute row reference for the row you want to repeat
    EXAMPLE: If you want row 5 to repeat, type $5:$5
    OR
    To select the row,
    1. Click COLLAPSE DIALOGCollapse dialog box button
    2. Select the row you want to repeat by clicking it

    3. Click RESTORE DIALOGRestore dialog box button

  4. In the Columns to repeat at left text box, type an absolute column reference for the column you want to repeat
    EXAMPLE: If you want column C to repeat, type $C:$C
    OR
    To select the column,
    1. Click COLLAPSE DIALOGCollapse dialog box button
    2. Select the row you want to repeat by clicking it

    3. Click RESTORE DIALOGRestore dialog box button

  5. Click OK

Setting Print Titles for Multiple Rows and Columns

  1. From the File menu, select Page Setup...
    The Page Setup dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Sheet tab

  3. In the Print titles section, in the Rows to repeat at top text box, type the absolute row references for the rows you want to repeat
    EXAMPLE: If you want rows 3 and 4 to repeat, type $3:$4
    OR
    To select the rows,
    1. Click COLLAPSE DIALOGCollapse dialog box button
    2. Select the rows you want to repeat by clicking the desired first row and dragging to the desired last row

    3. Click RESTORE DIALOGRestore dialog box button

  4. In the Columns to repeat at left text box, type the absolute column references for the columns you want to repeat
    EXAMPLE: If you want columns C and D to repeat, type $C:$D
    OR
    To select the rows,
    1. Click COLLAPSE DIALOGCollapse dialog box button
    2. Select the rows you want to repeat by clicking the desired first row and dragging to the desired last row

    3. Click RESTORE DIALOGRestore dialog box button

  5. Click OK

return to topChanging the Print Quality

You can change the quality of your printout to print at a higher resolution. Resolution is the number of dots per linear inch (dpi) that appear on the printed page.

  1. From the File menu, select Page Setup...
    The Page Setup dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Page tab
    Page Setup dialog box - Page tab

  3. From the Print quality pull-down menu, select the resolution you want for your printout

  4. Click OK

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