8 Easy Methods to Stop Excel From Printing Extra Blank Pages
Extra blank pages during printing can waste paper, ink, and time. When Microsoft Excel prints empty sheets, the problem usually comes from hidden content, unused columns, wrong print area, or stray formatting. The good news: you can quickly fix these issues using simple Excel tools.
In this guide, we will explain different ways to stop Excel from printing extra blank pages, with step-by-step instructions for Windows and Mac users.
Why Excel Prints Extra Blank Pages
Excel considers any formatted or used cell as part of the print area. Even a single hidden character, border, or background color outside your main table can trigger additional pages at print time. Common causes include:
- Extra columns or rows with formatting
- Wrong Page Break setup
- Incorrect Print Area
- Hidden blank cells
- Extra spaces or line breaks
- Headers and footers covering multiple pages
- Wrong page size or margin settings
Understanding the cause will help you choose the right fix.
Method 1: Check Page Breaks
Page breaks tell Excel where to start a new page. If Excel thinks your sheet is wider or longer than a page, it prints unwanted pages.
Steps (Windows and Mac)
- Go to View tab
- Select Page Break Preview
- Look for thick blue lines showing page boundaries
- Drag borders inward to include only the needed content
- Close the view using Normal mode
This keeps Excel from printing beyond your data range.
Method 2: Set the Correct Print Area
If a print area was set earlier, Excel might include blank cells outside your table.
Steps
- Select only the cells you need to print
- Go to the Page Layout tab
- Click Print Area
- Choose Set Print Area
Now, Excel will print only the selected range.
To remove a wrong print area:
- Go to Print Area → Clear Print Area
Method 3: Remove Unwanted Formatting
Formatting applied far beyond your actual data can cause Excel to think the sheet is larger.
How to clean formatting
- Highlight empty columns and rows after your data
- Right-click → Delete
- Or, use:
- Home tab → Clear → Clear Formats
- Save the workbook
To deep-clean format leftovers:
- Home → Editing Group → Clear → Clear All
This resets everything in that selection.
Method 4: Adjust Fit to Page Settings
Excel can shrink the content to fit on a page, preventing spill-over into another sheet.
Steps
- File → Print
- Under Settings, click No Scaling
- Choose:
- Fit Sheet on One Page
- Fit All Columns on One Page
- Fit All Rows on One Page
This setting forces Excel to print exactly what fits on a single page.
Method 5: Inspect for Hidden Content
Sometimes stray characters or tiny objects cause blank pages.
Things to check:
- Hidden rows and columns
- Shapes or text boxes
- Extra spaces
- Blank cells with borders
- Invisible page break markers
Reveal hidden data
Right-click row/column → Unhide
Then delete anything unnecessary.
Method 6: View the Print Preview Before Printing
Print Preview shows exactly what Excel will print.
Steps
- File → Print
- Scroll preview pane to ensure there are no empty pages
- If blank pages appear, return and adjust formatting or print area
This simple step prevents waste and saves stress.
Method 7: Reset to Excel’s Default Print Position
If headers or custom margins push content onto extra pages, resetting can help.
Reset margins
- Page Layout tab
- Click Margins
- Select Normal
Reset print titles
- Remove extra Sheet options like repeating rows or columns
This can eliminate additional page output.
Method 8: Trim Extra Blank Rows and Columns
Use Excel’s Go To Special tool to remove empty rows that look invisible.
Steps
- Select your main data range
- Press Ctrl + G (or Command + G on Mac)
- Click Special
- Choose Blanks
- Delete those blanks or clear formatting
If the empty section is after your data:
- Delete those rows and columns directly
Comparison of Fixes to Stop Excel From Printing Extra Blank Pages
| Problem Cause | Best Fix | Tools Used |
|---|---|---|
| Page breaks causing extra pages | Adjust page breaks | Page Break Preview |
| Print area includes blank cells | Reset print area | Print Area > Set/Clear |
| Formatting outside table | Remove formatting | Clear Formats |
| Page too wide/long | Scale to fit page | Print Scaling |
| Hidden content printing | Unhide rows/shape removal | Format tools |
| Wrong margin settings | Reset margins | Page Layout |
Bonus Tips to Prevent Future Blank Pages
Here are some proactive steps:
- Keep your data well-organized
- Delete formatting for rows you are not using
- Use Table feature (Ctrl + T) to keep clean boundaries
- Print using Fit All Columns on One Page for wide reports
- Always check Print Preview before sending to a printer
These habits can eliminate wasted pages permanently.
Troubleshooting Based on Device
On Windows
- Use Page Break Preview often
- Press Ctrl + Home to confirm start cell
- Press Ctrl + End to locate the sheet’s last used cell
If it goes too far, clear that formatting
On Mac
- Cold printer cache may store old print jobs — restart printer
- Command + P preview before the final print
Quick Checklist: Stop Excel Printing Extra Pages
Use this quick guide before hitting Print:
| Checklist Item | Completed |
|---|---|
| Remove empty columns and rows | ☐ |
| Check Page Break Preview | ☐ |
| Set a clean Print Area | ☐ |
| Inspect Print Preview first | ☐ |
| Reset margins and scaling | ☐ |
| Clear unwanted formatting | ☐ |
If everything above is checked, Excel should print exactly what you see — nothing more.
Final Thoughts
Blank pages during printing usually happen because Excel reads extra data, even if you don’t see it. The easiest fixes are:
- Use Page Break Preview
- Correct the Print Area
- Remove unwanted formatting
- Check Print Preview every time
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop Excel from printing extra blank pages?
To stop Excel from printing extra blank pages, first check Page Break Preview and drag the blue borders so they only surround your actual data. Then set a clean Print Area from the Page Layout tab and remove any unused rows or columns with formatting. Finally, use Print Preview (File → Print) to confirm there are no blank pages before you send the job to the printer.
Why is Excel printing blank pages after my data?
Excel prints blank pages when it detects content or formatting outside your main table. This can be caused by extra borders, background colors, hidden rows or columns, or stray characters in cells far to the right or below your data. Excel treats these as part of the used range, which pushes printing onto extra pages.
How do I reset the print area in Excel?
To reset the print area, go to the Page Layout tab, click Print Area, and choose Clear Print Area. Then highlight only the range you want to print and select Print Area → Set Print Area again. This tells Excel to ignore everything outside the selected cells when printing.
How can I remove formatting that causes extra blank pages?
Select the empty rows and columns after your data, right click, and choose Delete or use Home → Clear → Clear Formats. This removes borders, fill colors, and other styling that can extend the printable area. If needed, you can also use Clear All to remove both content and formatting from selected cells.
How do I fix page breaks that make Excel print on more pages?
Open Page Break Preview from the View tab. You will see blue lines showing where Excel is splitting the pages. Drag these lines so they fit tightly around your table. You can also right click a manual page break and choose Remove Page Break to let Excel recalculate the pages automatically.
How can I preview my Excel printout to avoid blank pages?
Use File → Print to open the Print Preview pane. Scroll through each page to see exactly what will be printed. If you notice a blank page, go back to the worksheet and adjust the Print Area, Page Breaks, or Scaling (Fit Sheet on One Page) until the preview shows only the pages you need.
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.