Page Layout and Printing
Learn how to control margins, orientation, scaling, print area, print titles, and page breaks to produce professional printed reports.
Video
Watch the lesson video, then complete the reading and challenge.
Lesson Notes
Read through the key concepts before you try the challenge.
Accessing the Print Pane
To begin printing in Excel, select the File tab to open Backstage View, then choose Print. The Print pane allows you to preview and configure all print settings.
Choosing What to Print
From the Settings section, you can choose to print Active Sheets, the Entire Workbook, or a Selection. Always verify the preview before printing.
Setting a Print Area
To define exactly what prints, select the desired cells, go to the Page Layout tab, click Print Area, and choose Set Print Area.
Changing Page Orientation
Excel offers Portrait (vertical) and Landscape (horizontal) orientation. Landscape is best for wide data tables.
Using Scaling Options
If your worksheet content is cut off, use scaling options such as 'Fit All Columns on One Page' or 'Fit Sheet on One Page'. Be aware that scaling reduces text size.
Adjusting Margins
Margins control the spacing between your worksheet content and the page edge. Choose presets like Normal, Wide, or Narrow, or manually adjust margins in the preview pane.
Using Print Titles
Use Print Titles to repeat header rows or columns on every printed page. Go to Page Layout → Print Titles and specify rows to repeat at top and columns to repeat at left.
Adjusting Page Breaks
Switch to Page Break Preview to manually control where printed pages divide. Drag the blue lines to reposition page breaks.
Knowledge Check
What does setting a print area do in Excel?
Practice File
Download this file and follow along with the lesson.
Challenge
Apply what you've learned in this lesson.
Complete the following tasks:
- Open the East Coast worksheet.
- Repeat row 1 at the top and column A at the left.
- Move the page break so rows 1–40 print on the first page.
- Change orientation to Landscape.
- Set margins to Narrow.
- Use Fit All Columns on One Page.
- Verify the preview matches the expected layout.
