Ask Dave Taylor
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • YouTube Videos
  • Top Categories
  • Subscribe via Email
  • Ask A Question
  • Meet Dave
  • Home
  • Business Advice
  • Print problem with Microsoft Excel 2008?

Print problem with Microsoft Excel 2008?

March 19, 2008 / Dave Taylor / Business Advice, Mac & MacOS Help / 5 Comments

I wonder if you can help me with a problem i am having regarding editing an excel spreadsheet, which is driving me mad: I use a Mac Powerbook that has the Microsoft Excel 2008 programme installed. My secretary has a PC upon which is stored all the work files. My Mac is networked to her computer, so I can access all the work files and edit them, print them etc. No worries.
The problem I have is this. My secretary types an excel spreadsheet with 5 columns. She can print it and all 5 columns appear on the page. I can access it and look at the page and all the 5 columns appear. However, if I go into the document and edit it, by say correcting an error, I notice that as soon as I go into the document, a dotted line appears down the right hand side of the page, between the 4th and 5th columns and then if I print it, only four columns appear on the first page and the fifth appears on its own on a separate page.
I have looked at the widths etc of the page set up and they appear the same.
Any ideas as to how I can get it to print all the text on the first page ? I am thinking it is a simple setting adjustment but for the life of me, I cannot work out what to do.

Having spent a lot of time working with spreadsheets, I know exactly what problem you’re encountering and, ironically, I can explain the solution in less words than you used to detail out exactly the problem you’re facing with Microsoft Excel.
First, though, I want to point out that this is a problem (or ‘feature’ depending on how you look at it) that’s been in just about all versions of Excel I can recall using, so it’s nothing new that’s showing up in Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac OS X, that’s for sure!
The problem is that the print area hasn’t encompassed all the active cells in your spreadsheet because of nuances in font sizing, column widths, default margins for your printer, etc etc.
The way to fix this is to simply select the entire active cell region by clicking and dragging, then choosing File –> Print Area –> Set Print Area:

Microsoft Excel: Set Print Area

Now you’ve defined what columns you want printed, you also need to see where the dashed line falls on the page: If it’s between the fourth and fifth column (which is what I expect will occur) you need to make another tweak…
Choose File –> Page Setup… and you’ll see:
Microsoft Excel: Print: Page Setup

As you can see where the cursor is pointing, you’ll want to select “fit to” and choose one page wide by one – or more – pages long, depending on your spreadsheet.
Between these two settings you should be good to print!

About the Author: Dave Taylor has been involved with the online world since the early days of the Internet. Author of over 20 technical books, he runs the popular AskDaveTaylor.com tech help site. You can also find his gadget reviews on YouTube and chat with him on Twitter as @DaveTaylor.

Let’s Stay In Touch!

Never miss a single article, review or tutorial here on AskDaveTaylor, sign up for my fun weekly newsletter!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz
Please choose a color:
Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

5 comments on “Print problem with Microsoft Excel 2008?”

  1. John says:
    December 16, 2010 at 11:38 pm

    Hi,
    I need to input this information into excel and make a graph: http://faculty.lacitycollege.edu/arvidsd/BariumData.pdf
    Please help.
    Thanks,
    -John

    Reply
  2. Richard Garneau says:
    April 3, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    Dave:
    I have been going bonkers for about an hour trying to remove dashed vertical and horizontal lines on my spreadsheet.
    Thanks Dave,
    Richard

    Reply
  3. vijcent finn says:
    February 21, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    question
    Office 2008 Excel.
    I created a spredsheet. It fits within the pages. Everytime I tryto print it it auotmatically sets itself in the Page Setup to 48%.
    I have tried everything to get it to print at 100% so that i can read it.
    At 48% the printing is almost microscopic and I cant se it
    Sny ieas

    Reply
  4. No name says:
    August 24, 2008 at 11:00 pm

    THANKYOU SO MUCH! I had a major project due at school and couldnt print it properly and this REALLY helped me!

    Reply
  5. Mac Printing Guy says:
    March 19, 2008 at 12:34 pm

    I’d bet you $5 that the difference is that the two of them have different default printers. You may think of margins as set by the application, but it’s the printer driver that determines both the
    page size and the “imageable area” of a page – the rectangle defining where ink can go and where it can’t due to hardware limitations.
    If a document in any application does not set fixed margins (like “one inch all around”), then it’ll usually try to print right up to the edges of the imageable area. If this is slightly bigger on one printer than another, you’ll get rewrapped text, changes in graphics size (as they’re either expanded or shrunk to fit), or multiple pages. If they’re both using the same printer, they should be sure they’re both using the same paper size, too.
    (This is defined in the Mac OS X “Page Setup” dialog box, not the one you show in the article. In Excel 2008, you get the OS Page Setup dialog box by clicking “Options” in the dialog box you show. For identical margins, they should use the same printer and the same paper size. If they don’t actually use the same physical printer,
    they should pick “Any Printer” and the same paper size.)

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • How Can I Share My Netflix Account With My Friend? [Updated for 2023]
  • How to Check Energy Recommendations on your Windows Laptop
  • How Do I Customize New Tab Windows in Safari for Mac?
  • Can AI-Generated ChatGPT Text Be Accurately Identified?
  • How to Perform a Microsoft Account Security Audit and Checkup

On Our YouTube Channel

How to: Replace a Switchbot Door Sensor Battery

EMEET Luna vs INNOTRIK Studio Bluetooth Speakerphones -- DEMOS & REVIEW

Categories

  • AdSense, AdWords, and PPC Help (106)
  • Amazon, eBay, and Online Shopping Help (163)
  • Android Help (226)
  • Apple iPad Help (147)
  • Apple Watch Help (53)
  • Articles, Tutorials, and Reviews (346)
  • Auto Tech Help (15)
  • Business Advice (200)
  • ChromeOS Help (31)
  • Computer & Internet Basics (779)
  • d) None of the Above (166)
  • Facebook Help (383)
  • Google, Chrome & Gmail Help (188)
  • HTML & Web Page Design (247)
  • Instagram Help (49)
  • iPhone & iOS Help (623)
  • iPod & MP3 Player Help (173)
  • Kindle & Nook Help (99)
  • LinkedIn Help (88)
  • Linux Help (173)
  • Linux Shell Script Programming (89)
  • Mac & MacOS Help (911)
  • Most Popular (16)
  • Outlook & Office 365 Help (33)
  • PayPal Help (68)
  • Pinterest Help (54)
  • Reddit Help (19)
  • SEO & Marketing (82)
  • Spam, Scams & Security (95)
  • Trade Show News & Updates (23)
  • Twitter Help (220)
  • Video Game Tips (66)
  • Web Site Traffic Tips (62)
  • Windows PC Help (947)
  • Wordpress Help (206)
  • Writing and Publishing (72)
  • YouTube Help (47)
  • YouTube Video Reviews (159)
  • Zoom, Skype & Video Chat Help (62)

Archives

Social Connections:

Ask Dave Taylor


Follow Me on Pinterest
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Instagram


AskDaveTaylor on Facebook



microsoft insider mvp


This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to our terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. Our lawyer says "Thanks for your cooperation."
© 2023 by Dave Taylor. "Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.
Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - Accessibility Policy