How to print from Excel

In order to get useful printouts from Excel, first select File > Print Preview to check how the file contents would be laid out on printed pages. If there are any problems (e.g. the columns would be printed on separate pages, etc.), try any or all of the following, as appropriate.

1. Set Print Area

Often you do not need to print all file contents - you may need only the source and target columns, for example. In this case, try setting the print area.

Highlight the columns you wish to print, then select File > Print Area > Set Print Area.

Preview the file again (File > Print Preview). If the preview looks OK, click Print... and print as usual.

2. Change Page Orientation

The contents may fit better on printed pages if you change the page orientation from Portrait to Landscape.

On the Print Preview window, click Setup. The Page Setup dialog is displayed.

On Page tab, select the Landscape radio button on the Orientation section, and click OK.

If the preview looks OK, click Print... and print as usual.

3. Change Scaling

You can "shrink" the document by changing its scaling, so that it fits better on printed pages.

On the Print Preview window, click Setup. The Page Setup dialog is displayed (see above).

In the Scaling section, make sure that the Adjust to: radio button is selected and select a suitable percentage, for example 90%. Click OK.

If the preview looks OK, click Print... and print as usual. If not, try a smaller percentage, or the Fit to: function. Please note, however, that if the scaling precentage is low, the text may be too small to read comfortably.