XL: Left/Right-Aligned Header/Footer Text Ignores Margins

Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
Article ID: Q124751

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, the header and footer on your worksheet always use a left and right margin of 0.75 inch. Because of this, left-aligned text in the header or footer will always begin 0.75 inches from the left edge of the page, regardless of the left margin setting. Similarly, right-aligned text will always print 0.75 inches from the right side of the page.

WORKAROUND

Although you cannot change these margins, you can create wider margins by adding extra spaces ("padding") to the header or footer.

To pad the left header or footer, you can add spaces before the text. However, because the right header or footer ignores trailing spaces, you must use a nonbreaking space to allow the spaces to be maintained when you add them to the end of your footer.

To pad the right header or footer with spaces, use the appropriate following method.

Microsoft Excel Version 7.0 and Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

  1. On the File menu, click Page Setup. Then, click the Header/Footer tab.

  2. Click the Header/Footer, and click the Custom Header or Custom Footer button.

  3. Type in the text or control codes that you want to appear in theheader or footer followed by space characters to pad the text on the right. (Note that the spaces will not appear at the end of the text.)

  4. To enter a nonbreaking space, press and hold down the ALT key and type 0160 on the numeric keypad. Note that NUM LOCK must be turned on in order for this procedure to work.

Typing 0160 will insert a nonbreaking space at the end of the right header or footer.

The spaces at the end of the text string should now appear and will be applied to the printed output.

Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Windows

  1. On the File menu, click Page Setup, click the Header/Footer tab, and click the Customize button.

  2. Click the Right Section.

  3. Type in the text or control codes that you want to appear in the header, followed by space characters to pad the text on the right. Note that the spaces will not appear at the end of the text.

  4. To enter a nonbreaking space, press and hold down the ALT key and type 0160 On the numeric keypad. Note that NUM LOCK must be turned on in order for this procedure to work.

Typing 0160 will insert a nonbreaking space at the end of the right header or footer.

The spaces at the end of the text string appear and are applied to the printed output.

Microsoft Excel 4.0 for Windows

  1. From the File menu, choose Page Setup.

  2. Click the Header or Footer button.

  3. Select the Right Section.

  4. Type in the text or control codes that you want to appear in the header or footer.

  5. To enter a nonbreaking space, press and hold down the ALT key and type 0160 on the numeric keypad. Note that NUM LOCK must be turned on in order for this procedure to work.

The spaces at the end of the text string appear on the printout.

Microsoft Excel 5.0 for the Macintosh and

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

  1. On the File menu, click Page Setup, click the Header/Footer tab, and then click Custom Header or Custom Footer.

  2. Select the Right Section.

  3. Type the text or control codes that you want to appear in the header.

  4. Press OPTION+SHIFT to enter nonbreaking spaces (press this key combination as many times as necessary to insert the number of spaces you want).

The spaces at the end of the text string are applied to the printed output.

MORE INFORMATION

Note that when you print to legal size paper, left-aligned text in the header or footer prints approximately one inch from the left side of the page. This is to allow for the limitations of the LaserWriter when printing to legal size paper.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 5.0, page 243 "Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 4.0, page 535


Additional query words: 3.00 4.00 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.0 7.0a 97 98 XL98 XL97
XL7 XL5 XL4 XL3
Keywords : xlprint kbprint kbualink97
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,4.0,5.0,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97; MACINTOSH:3.0,4.0,5.0,5.0a,98
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


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Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
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