How to Set Print Area in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Microsoft Excel gives users the power to organize and analyze data effectively. But when it’s time to print your spreadsheet, things can get tricky. You might not want to print the entire sheet; instead, just a specific section. That’s where setting a print area comes in handy.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to set, clear, and manage print areas in Excel, whether you’re using Excel for Windows, Mac, or Microsoft 365. We’ll also go over tips to avoid printing errors and how to make sure your spreadsheet prints exactly how you want.

What is a Print Area in Excel?

A print area in Excel is the part of your worksheet that you want to print out on paper or as a PDF. Instead of printing the entire sheet, Excel lets you select specific cells to print, saving paper and keeping things tidy.

When you set a print area, Excel saves it with the worksheet. That means every time you print, Excel will only print that area—unless you change or clear it.

How to Set a Print Area in Excel (Windows)

Step 1: Select the Cells You Want to Print

Click and drag to highlight the range of cells you want to print.

Example: To print cells A1 to F20, select that range.

Step 2: Open the Page Layout Tab

Go to the top menu and click on the Page Layout tab.

Step 3: Click on Print Area

In the Page Setup group, click Print Area and choose Set Print Area from the dropdown.

Now Excel marks your selected range as the print area. You can preview this using the Print Preview option under File > Print.

How to Add More Areas to an Existing Print Area

Sometimes, you might want to print multiple non-adjacent areas. Here’s how:

1. Hold Ctrl and select the additional range(s) of cells.
2. Go to Page Layout > Print Area.
3. Click Add to Print Area.

Excel will now include both ranges in the print area, and each section will be printed on a separate page.

How to Clear the Print Area

To remove a print area and revert to printing the whole worksheet:

1. Go to Page Layout > Print Area.
2. Select Clear Print Area.

This is helpful when you no longer need to limit what gets printed.

How to Set Print Area in Excel (Mac)

The steps are similar on Excel for Mac.

1. Select your desired cells.
2. Click on the Page Layout tab.
3. Choose Print Area > Set Print Area.

To clear or add to the print area, follow the same navigation as you would on Windows.

Use Page Break Preview to Adjust Print Area Visually

Page Break Preview is a powerful view that lets you drag and resize your print area visually.

Steps to Use Page Break Preview:

1. Go to the View tab.
2. Click on Page Break Preview.
3. Blue lines show the print boundaries. Drag them to adjust.

This helps if you want to make your print area fit on one page or a specific number of pages.

Setting Print Area in Excel Using Keyboard Shortcuts

While there’s no default keyboard shortcut to set a print area directly, you can speed things up using Alt navigation.

1. Select the desired range.
2. Press Alt, then P, then R, then S in sequence.

This will activate Set Print Area via the Page Layout tab.

Using Named Ranges for Print Areas

If you often print the same section of a workbook, you can name your print area.

Steps:

1. Select your cells.
2. Go to the Formulas tab.
3. Click Define Name.
4. Give it a meaningful name like Report_Print_Area.

Now you can use that named range in VBA or printing macros.

Tips to Make Your Print Area Look Better

To ensure your printouts are clean and readable:

1. Use Print Titles

In the Page Layout tab, click Print Titles to repeat headers across all printed pages.

2. Fit to One Page

Go to File > Print, then under Scaling, select Fit Sheet on One Page or Fit All Columns on One Page.

3. Adjust Margins

Use Normal, Wide, or Narrow margins from the Print menu to optimize spacing.

4. Add Gridlines

To include gridlines:

1. Go to Page Layout.
2. Under Sheet Options, check the Print box under Gridlines.

5. Set Orientation

Switch between Portrait and Landscape depending on your data layout.

Common Print Area Problems and How to Fix Them

Even after setting a print area, things may not print as expected. Here are some common issues and solutions.

How to Print Multiple Print Areas on One Page

By default, multiple print areas are printed on separate pages. But if you want to fit them together:

• Combine the ranges into one contiguous block.
• Or copy/paste into a separate worksheet before printing.

Excel does not allow multiple disjointed areas to print on a single sheet unless combined manually.

How to View and Edit Print Area in Page Setup Dialog

Sometimes it’s easier to manage your print area from the Page Setup window.

1. Click on the small launcher icon in the Page Layout tab (bottom-right of Page Setup group).
2. Go to the Sheet tab.
3. In the Print Area box, edit the range (e.g., A1:F20).

This is helpful for fine-tuning your area or copying the range to another worksheet.

Automate Print Area with Excel VBA (Advanced)

If you’re comfortable with VBA macros, you can automate setting the print area.

Example Code:

Sub SetPrintArea()
    ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintArea = "A1:F20"
End Sub

You can also use dynamic ranges or trigger macros based on events like worksheet change or workbook open.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to set a print area in Excel can save time, paper, and frustration. Whether you’re preparing financial reports, charts, or project trackers, setting the right area to print ensures your output looks clean and professional.

By using tools like Page Layout, Page Break Preview, and even VBA, you can take full control of how your worksheets print. Remember to use print titles, scaling options, and margins to get the best results every time.

FAQs

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.