Excel Print Area (Table of Contents)
Print Area in Excel
Print Area in Excel helps the user to print only select areas to print. We can restrict the area which we want to see in our print preview. For example, a worksheet has 4 columns and 20 rows filled with data. But if we want to print only the top 3 rows then go to Page Layout menu ribbon and under the Page Setup section select Print Area. Now from the Set Print Area choose the area which we want to print. Later we can clear the area.
How to Set a Print Area in Excel?
It is very simple and easy. Let’s understand the working of the print area with some examples.
Example #1
We have given some employee data and we want to print whole data excluding the Salary of the employee.
For setting up the print area in Excel worksheet, follow the below steps:
- Select the range of cells that you want to print or set as the print area in that worksheet. Refer below screenshot.
- Go to the Page Layout tab.
- Click on Print Area option under Page Setup section as shown in the below screenshot.
- It will open a drop-down list of options.
- Click on Set Print Area option as shown in the below screenshot.
- This option would set the selected range of cells or area as Print Area and also it gives the name of that area under Name Box. Refer below screenshot.
- You also can change the name of the Print Area as required.
Now when you will give the print command, only the set print area will be printed.
How to Make changes in the Print Area in Excel?
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If you have already set the print area but after some time you realize that you need to include more data in the report then you need to make some changes in the setting of the print area.
Suppose in the above example, we want to include the Salary field.
To add more areas for printing, follow below steps:
- Select the cells that you want to add in the already set print area. Refer below screenshot.
- Go to Page Layout.
- Click on Print Area under Page Setup section. Refer below screenshot.
- Choose the Add to Print Area option as shown in the below screenshot.
And this would add that selected range of cells in the Print Area.
How to Remove/clear the Print Area in Excel?
For clearing the print area, follow the below steps:
- Click on any cell in the worksheet in which you want to clear the print area.
- Go to Page Layout.
- Click on Print Area under Page setup section.
- It will open a drop-down list of options.
- Click on Clear Print Area from the list as shown in the below screenshot.
These steps will clear all the print areas from the worksheet.
Things to Remember about the Print Area in Excel
- You can define more than one print areas in the worksheet by providing the different name to that area.
- Those areas will print separately.
- When you save the workbook, it saves the Print area as well.
- While adding more area under print area, and if those cells or area is adjacent to the existing print area, then it would be merged and print along with.
- If that new area is non-adjacent to the existing print area, then it would create a new print area and will print on the different page.
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