How to View Printable Area in Excel

Ever wished you could preview the print area in Excel before actually printing your spreadsheet? The print area function in Excel allows you to specify which cells should be printed, but sometimes you might want to see a preview of that area first. While Excel doesn't have a built-in print preview for the print area, there are a few workarounds you can use.

In this guide, we'll explore how to view the printable area in Excel using easy-to-follow steps and some simple tricks. Let's dive right in and make your printing process smoother than ever.

Using Named Ranges

One clever way to preview the print area is by using named ranges in Excel. By naming the range you want to print, you can easily select and preview it. Here's how you can do it:

1. **Create a Named Range**: - Select the cells you want to include in your print area. - In the 'Define Name' field in the 'Formulas' tab, type a name for your range (e.g., 'PrintArea1'). - Click 'OK' to create the named range.

Previewing the Named Range

1. **View the Named Range**: - Go to the 'Formulas' tab. - Click on 'Use in Formula' and select the named range you created. - You'll see the named range in the formula bar (e.g., "=PrintArea1"). - Press 'Enter' to select and preview the cells in the print area.

Adjusting the print area using this method is quick and easy. Plus, once you've named your print area, you can easily reference it in other formulas or tasks.

Using the Go To Special Feature

Another way to preview the print area is by using the 'Go To Special' feature. Here's how:

1. **Access the 'Go To Special' feature**: - Press 'F5' on your keyboard to open the 'Go To' dialogue box. - Click on 'Special...' in the bottom right corner.

2. **Select 'Visible cells'**: - In the 'Go To Special' dialogue box, select 'Visible cells only'. - Click 'OK'.

The 'Go To Special' feature will only select the cells that are visible and part of the print area, giving you a quick preview. This method is particularly useful when your print area includes multiple non-adjacent ranges.

Adjusting the Print Area

Now that you know how to preview the print area, let's look at adjusting it. To set the print area:

- Select the cells you want to include in the print area. - Right-click and select 'Set Print Area' from the context menu. - Alternatively, go to the 'Page Layout' tab and click on 'Print Area', then select 'Set Print Area'.

Adjusting the Print Area Using Named Ranges

If you've used named ranges to preview the print area, you can also adjust the print area using those named ranges:

1. **Set the print area**: - Select the named range by clicking on it in the 'Formulas' tab. - Right-click and select 'Set Print Area' from the context menu.

Adjusting the print area using named ranges can save time and increase accuracy, as you're working with specific named ranges instead of individual cells.

Removing the Print Area

To remove the print area, follow these steps:

1. **Clear the print area**: - Click anywhere in your spreadsheet. - Go to the 'Page Layout' tab. - Click 'Print Area' and select 'Clear Print Area'.

Removing the print area returns your printer settings to their default, printing the entire worksheet.

By mastering these techniques for previewing and adjusting the print area in Excel, you'll print your spreadsheets with confidence. Happy printing!