How to Fix Excel Spreadsheet That Prints One Page and Stops?

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Microsoft Excel is widely used for financial reports, data analysis, project tracking, and large tables. But sometimes, you face printing issues; one of the most frustrating being when your Excel spreadsheet prints one page and stops. This can happen even when your file has multiple pages of data.

In this guide, we will explain the causes of the problem and provides clear step-by-step solutions. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to adjust your Excel print settings to ensure your entire workbook or worksheet prints correctly.

Common Reasons Why Excel Prints Only One Page

Before fixing the issue, it helps to understand why it happens. Here are some of the main reasons:

• Page breaks are incorrectly set in the worksheet.
• The print area is restricted to one small section.
• Page layout scaling is forcing the sheet into one page.
• Printer settings are misconfigured.
• The worksheet has hidden rows or columns.
• Corrupt Excel file formatting.

Knowing the root cause makes it easier to apply the right solution.

Check and Adjust the Print Area in Excel

The most common reason Excel prints only one page is that the print area is set incorrectly.

How to Reset Print Area

1. Open your worksheet.
2. Go to the Page Layout tab.
3. In the Page Setup group, click Print Area.
4. Select Clear Print Area.
5. Now go to File > Print and check the preview to see if all data is included.

If the issue was due to a restricted print area, this should fix it.

Fix Page Breaks That Limit Printing

Page breaks in Excel control how content is divided across printed pages. If a manual page break is set too early, Excel may stop after printing one page.

Adjust Manual Page Breaks

1. Go to the View tab.
2. Click Page Break Preview.
3. You will see blue lines indicating page breaks.
4. Drag the lines to adjust where the page breaks should be.
5. Return to Normal View after fixing.

This ensures your worksheet flows across multiple pages without cutting off after the first page.

Verify Page Layout Scaling Options

Excel’s scaling options can cause the entire sheet to shrink into a single page. This may look fine in preview but only prints one sheet.

How to Fix Scaling

1. Go to File > Print.
2. Under Settings, check the Scaling options.
3. If it says “Fit Sheet on One Page” or “Fit All Columns on One Page,” change it to No Scaling.
4. Review the print preview to confirm multiple pages are visible.

By disabling scaling, Excel will print each page of the worksheet instead of forcing it into one.

Adjust Margins and Page Orientation

Sometimes, large datasets do not fit properly because of page margins and orientation.

Steps to Optimize Layout

1. Open Page Layout tab.
2. Select Margins and choose Narrow.
3. Change orientation to Landscape if your sheet has many columns.

This method allows more data per page while ensuring all content prints.

Check Printer Properties and Settings

The problem may not always be with Excel. Sometimes, your printer settings are the cause.

Verify Printer Settings

1. Press Ctrl + P in Excel.
2. Select your printer and click Printer Properties.
3. Make sure the paper size matches your Excel settings.
4. Check that it is not set to print first page only.

If needed, update your printer drivers from the manufacturer’s website.

Print Hidden Rows or Columns

Hidden rows and columns can also confuse the printing process.

How to Unhide

1. Select the entire sheet using Ctrl + A.
2. Right-click any row or column header.
3. Choose Unhide.
4. Try printing again.

This ensures Excel recognizes all rows and columns during printing.

Use Page Setup for Better Control

The Page Setup dialog box gives more control over printing.

Access Page Setup

1. Go to Page Layout tab.
2. Click the small arrow in the Page Setup group.
3. Use the tabs:
   • Page Tab → Change scaling, orientation, and paper size.
   • Sheet Tab → Adjust print area, row/column headings, and gridlines.
   • Margins Tab → Set custom margins.

Fine-tuning these options often solves the one-page printing issue.

Check for Worksheet Protection and Locked Settings

If the worksheet is protected, some layout adjustments may not apply.

Remove Protection

1. Go to Review tab.
2. Click Unprotect Sheet (you may need a password).
3. Adjust page layout again.

This ensures Excel accepts your printing changes.

Clear Corrupt Formatting

Sometimes, hidden formatting errors in Excel prevent printing beyond one page.

Quick Fix Using Copy-Paste

1. Copy all data from your worksheet (Ctrl + C).
2. Open a new worksheet and paste as Values (Home > Paste > Paste Values).
3. Try printing the new sheet.

This removes hidden formatting that could restrict printing.

Test Printing with Another Workbook

If you are unsure whether the problem is with Excel or the file itself, open a different workbook and try printing.

• If the new file prints correctly, the issue is in your original spreadsheet.
• If the new file also stops after one page, it may be your Excel installation or printer driver.

Update or Repair Microsoft Excel

Outdated or corrupt Excel installations can cause printing issues.

How to Repair

1. Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
2. Select Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365.
3. Click Change and choose Quick Repair.

If that doesn’t work, use Online Repair. Updating to the latest version of Office also helps fix printing bugs.

Advanced Troubleshooting with Excel Options

If basic fixes don’t work, try adjusting advanced Excel settings.

1. Go to File > Options.
2. Click Advanced.
3. Under Print, check or uncheck options such as:
   • “Print page numbers”
   • “Print comments”
   • “Print gridlines”

Sometimes disabling unnecessary print features solves the problem.

Use PDF Export as an Alternative

If you still face trouble, export your worksheet to PDF and print from Adobe Reader or another PDF tool.

Export to PDF

1. Go to File > Export.
2. Select Create PDF/XPS Document.
3. Open the PDF and print.

This bypasses Excel’s direct printing and usually prints all pages correctly.

Summary of Fixes for Excel Spreadsheet That Prints Only One Page

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.