How to set print area in excel

Answer

To set a print area in Excel, select the cells you want to print, go to the Page Layout tab, click Print Area in the Page Setup group, and choose Set Print Area.

Understanding Print Area

A print area is the specific range of cells Excel will include when printing a worksheet.

·         All cells outside the print area are excluded.

·         You can set one or multiple print areas per sheet.

·         Excel saves print area settings with the workbook.

Setting a Single Print Area

1.      Select the range of cells you want to print

2.      Go to the Page Layout tab

3.      Click Print Area in the Page Setup group

4.      Select Set Print Area

Excel highlights the selected range with a dotted border and names it Print_Area in the Name Box.

Setting Multiple Print Areas

To define multiple non-adjacent print areas:

1.      Select the first range

2.      Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac)

3.      Select additional ranges

4.      Go to Page Layout

5.      Click Print Area → Set Print Area

Each print area prints on a separate page in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom sequence.

Adding Cells to an Existing Print Area

To expand your current print area:

1.      Select cells adjacent to the current print area

2.      Go to Page Layout

3.      Click Print Area

4.      Choose Add to Print Area

This option only appears when a print area already exists.

Clearing Print Area

To reset printing back to full-sheet mode:

1.      Click anywhere in the worksheet

2.      Go to Page Layout

3.      Click Print Area

4.      Select Clear Print Area

Excel will again print all used cells.

Using Page Break Preview

Page Break Preview helps visually adjust printing areas:

1.      Go to the View tab

2.      Select Page Break Preview

3.      Drag blue borders to resize the print area

4.      Move dashed blue lines to adjust page breaks

White areas represent the print area; gray areas are excluded.

Setting Print Area Through Page Setup Dialog

To set print area with advanced options:

1.      Click the dialog launcher in the Page Setup group (Page Layout tab)

2.      Open the Sheet tab

3.      Click inside the Print Area box

4.      Select cells or manually type a range (e.g., A1:G25)

5.      Click OK

Keyboard Shortcuts for Print Area

·         Windows: Press Alt + P + R + S after selecting cells

·         Mac: No direct shortcut; use ribbon commands instead

Print Area with Named Ranges

You can define print areas with named ranges:

1.      Select your print range

2.      Type a name in the Name Box

3.      Press Enter

4.      Open Page Setup (Page Layout → dialog launcher)

5.      Enter your range name in the Print Area field

6.      Click OK

Troubleshooting Print Area Issues

Print Area Not Saving

·         Save your workbook after setting print area

·         Excel stores print settings inside the file

Hidden Rows or Columns

·         Hidden cells stay hidden during printing

·         Unhide or adjust the print area

Print Area Too Large

·         Page Setup dialog allows up to 255 characters

·         Reduce the range or use multiple print areas

Merged Cells Causing Issues

·         Merged cells on boundaries cause errors

·         Ensure merged cells are fully included or avoided at print area edges

Print Area Best Practices

·         Set print area before adjusting orientation/margins

·         Use Print Titles to repeat header rows or columns

·         Always check Print Preview (Ctrl+P / Command+P)

·         Save layouts as Custom Views (View > Custom Views) for easy switching

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