XL: Setting Print Area and Print Titles on Worksheet

ID: Q121401

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

The following information describes different methods that you can use in Microsoft Excel to set a print title and a print area on your worksheet.


MORE INFORMATION

If you print the same range repeatedly, set your print area before you print. When you print the selected sheet, only the specified print area will be printed. You can also specify rows or columns that you want to repeat on every page when you set your print area.

Print Area Menu Item

In Microsoft Excel versions 7.0 and 97, there is a Print Area menu item on the File menu. To set the print area on your worksheet using the Print Area menu item:
  1. Select the range of cells that you want set as your print area.


  2. On the File menu, point to Print Area and then click Set Print Area.


NOTE: You can clear an existing print area by repeating step 2, except click Clear Print Area instead.

Page Setup

You can use the Sheet tab of the Page Setup dialog box to set either a print area or a print title on your worksheet. To display the Page Setup dialog box, click Page Setup on the File menu.

NOTE: Although you can access the Page Setup dialog box by clicking the Setup button in print preview, you cannot enter a print area or print title using this method.

Use the following steps to set the print area or print title:
  1. In the Page Setup dialog box, click the Sheet tab.


  2. In the Print Area box, enter the reference of the cells you want to use as your print area, such as $A$1:$D$6.


  3. If you want to print titles at the top of every page, under Print Titles, in the Rows to repeat at top box, enter the reference to the row(s) that you want to set as a title, such as $5:$5.


  4. If you want to print titles at the left of every page, under Print Titles, in the Columns to repeat at left box, enter the reference to the column(s) that you want to set as a title, such as $D:$D.


  5. Click OK.


NOTE: You can click in the Print area, Rows to repeat at top, or Columns to repeat at left boxes and select cells in the worksheet to set the print area or row/column titles. You can also type defined names in these boxes.

Set Print Area Button

You can also select the range that you want to print and click the Set Print Area button.

By default, the Set Print Area toolbar button is not on the Standard toolbar. However, you can add the Set Print Area button to any existing toolbar, or create a custom toolbar that contains this button. This button allows you to set the selected cells on your worksheet as the print area.

To add the Set Print Area toolbar button to an existing toolbar, use the appropriate method for your version of Excel.

Microsoft Excel 97

  1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars and then click Customize.


  2. In the Customize dialog box, click the Commands tab.


  3. On the Commands tab, click File in the list of Categories.


  4. In the list of Commands, scroll down until you see Set Print Area.


  5. Drag this command onto any currently visible toolbar.


  6. Click Close.


Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 7.0

  1. On the View menu, click Toolbars.


  2. Click Customize.


  3. In the Categories list, select File.

    The Set Print Area button is the fifth button in the first row of the toolbar buttons displayed in the Buttons section of the Customize dialog box.


  4. Drag this button to any visible toolbar, or to an open area on your worksheet to create a custom toolbar that contains this button.


  5. Click Close.


To set a print area using this button, select the cells on the worksheet that you want to set as the print area, and then click the Set Print Area button.

To clear a print area using this button, select the entire worksheet by clicking the select-all button (at the intersection of the row and column headings) or press CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR and then click the Set Print Area button.

Set Print Titles Dialog Box

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Solution Providers, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/
For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp
You can use the following Visual Basic procedure to display the Set Print Titles dialog box: 

   Sub Set_Print_Titles()
      Application.Dialogs(xlDialogSetPrintTitles).Show
   End Sub
When you run this macro, the Set Print Titles dialog box appears. You can then enter or select ranges for either Titles for columns or Titles for rows, or both.

NOTE: You can assign this procedure to a toolbar button for quick access.

Print Dialog Box Option to Print Selection

You can also print a selection of cells on a worksheet without setting a specific print area. If you do not need row or column titles, or if you will be printing the worksheet range only once, use the following procedure:
  1. Select the cells on the worksheet that you want to print.


  2. On the File menu, click Print.


  3. Under Print What, select the Selection option. Click OK.



REFERENCES

For additional information, please click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q109192 XL AppNOTE: Printing Questions and Answers (XE0924)

Q105817 XL: Defined Names for Print Area or Titles May Not Be Dynamic

Q117799 XL: Print Titles Do Not Appear on Every Page of Output

Q105203 XL: Print Selection Does Not Ignore Print Titles

Q106251 XL: Print Area and Print Titles Boxes Empty in Print Preview
For more information about the Set Print Area button or specifying an area of a worksheet to print, click the Search button in Help and type:
print area

Excel 5.0

For additional information, see "Setting Up What You Want to Print" in Chapter 14 of the User's Guide.

Additional query words: 5.00c howto 8.00 97

Keywords : xlui xlprint
Version : WINDOWS:97,7.0,5.0,5.0c
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: September 30, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.