Software Tips & Tricks Printing a Selection in Excel vs. Printing the Entire Active Worksheet

By Laura Noble

At times you may need to print only a portion of a spreadsheet rather than the entire sheet. You could hide rows and columns and then unhide the data after printing, however, this method is best to use when data is non-contiguous. (Refer to article Copying Hidden Cells that includes tips on how to hide data.) The most efficient method, when data is contiguous, is to select/highlight the area of the spreadsheet and print.

Print a selection versus the entire sheet:

• Select the portion of the sheet to print. In sample spreadsheet below, A2:C9 have been selected to print.
  

  

  
  
• From the File menu, select Print to open the Print dialog box. ü In the Print what section, select Selection.
  
  
  
• To print multiple copies of workbook, select the appropriate number in the Copies section of the dialog box.
  
  
• To Preview print job: click the Preview button in bottom left hand corner of dialog box (refer below for more information on Print Preview) of if in Print Preview, click the Print button.
  
  
• Click OK button when ready to print. Using this method, data does not need to be manipulated in any manner before or after printing. Print Preview Icon
  

Print Preview: Open Print Preview dialog by clicking the Print Preview icon or within the Print dialog box clicking the Preview button as described above

• Mouse Pointer will change to a magnifying glass as mouse is moved over preview. Mouse click once and the view will enlarge, click again and view will return to original view.
  
  
• To view Next or Previous page click the appropriate button on the toolbar.
  
  
• To check the total number of pages of the current print selection, look in the bottom left hand corner of box.
  
  
• To view exact locations of page breaks, click the Page Break Preview button. To return to “normal” view, select from the View menu, Normal (refer to below for more information on Page Break Preview).
  
  
• To Print… from Print Preview, click the appropriate button on the toolbar.
  
  
• To change page setup, click the Setup… button on the toolbar.
  
  
• To return to “normal” view and make revisions, click the Close button on the toolbar.

Page Break Preview

Page Break Preview displays the location of page breaks. This view is helpful as it is a quick method to check if certain columns do not fit on a page width. Blue lines separate each page. Clicking and left-dragging these blue lines can adjust location of Page breaks.

Method One: Select from the View menu, Page Break Preview.

To close Page Break Preview, select from the View menu, Normal.


Stay tuned to Networking Today in the coming months for more Software Tips & Tricks from Noble Software Solutions.

Laura Noble is the owner of Noble Software Solutions. Laura can be contacted at 519-680-2689 or by e-mail at lnoble@noblesoftwaresolutions.com. www.noblesoftwaresolutions.com

Published in Networking Today, November 2001.