How To Print Excel Spreadsheet on One Page

Do you need to print an Excel sheet on one page?

We understand how frustrating it can be when your data spills across multiple pages. Not only does this make your document hard to read, but it also wastes paper. Fortunately, Excel offers built-in features to help you fit your data neatly without shrinking it to an illegible size.

Join us as we cover simple ways to print an Excel spreadsheet on one page without losing readability.

Method 1: Using the "Fit to One Page" Option in Excel

Excel's "Fit to One Page" feature automatically helps you scale your sheet for a clean, single-page print. With just a few quick adjustments, you can ensure your data is well-organized and easy to read.

Step 1: Open the Print menu.

Click on File in the top left corner of Excel. Select Print from the list. You’ll now see a preview of your spreadsheet, which likely extends beyond one page.

Step 2: Access Page Setup.

Now, let’s make sure your spreadsheet fits within one page. In the Print window, look for the No Scaling drop-down menu (located under the settings section). Click on it, then select Fit Sheet on One Page. Alternatively, you can select Page Setup (click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Layout tab’s Page Setup section).

Step 3: Adjust "Fit To" settings.

In the Page Setup window, find the Scaling section under the Page tab. Select Fit to: and set both Width and Height to 1 page each. This tells Excel to automatically shrink your spreadsheet so that it prints entirely on one page.

Step 4: Check the print preview.

Click OK to apply the changes. Then, head back to File > Print and check the preview. If the text appears too small, you might need to adjust column widths, row heights, or switch to Landscape Orientation for better readability.

Step 5: Print your spreadsheet.

If you’re happy with the preview, Click the Print button.

Method 2: Adjusting Page Orientation

Another easy way to ensure your Excel spreadsheet fits on a single page is by adjusting the page orientation. By default, Excel prints in Portrait mode, which works well for narrow datasets but can cause wider spreadsheets to spill onto multiple pages. Switching to Landscape mode gives you extra horizontal space, making it ideal for spreadsheets with multiple columns. See how below:

Step 1: Open the Page Layout tab.

Open the Excel worksheet that you want to print. Click on the Page Layout tab in the toolbar at the top.

Step 2: Change the page orientation.

Once you’re in the Page Layout tab, locate the Orientation option in the Page Setup group. Click on it, and you’ll see two options:

• Portrait (Default) – Best for tall, narrow datasets.

• Landscape – Best for wide spreadsheets.

Select Landscape to expand the printable width of your sheet.

Step 3: Check the print preview.

Go to File > Print or press Ctrl + P to open the print preview. Review how your spreadsheet looks in Landscape mode. If your data still overflows onto multiple pages, you may need to combine this method with other techniques, such as scaling or adjusting margins.

Step 4: Fine-tune your spreadsheet for printing.

If switching to Landscape orientation doesn’t fully fit your data onto one page, try these additional tweaks:

• Reduce column widths: Manually adjust columns by dragging the edges to make them narrower.

• Use smaller font sizes: A slight reduction in font size can help fit more data without sacrificing readability.

• Hide unnecessary columns: If certain columns aren’t needed for printing, consider hiding them.

Step 5: Print your spreadsheet.

Once satisfied with the preview, click the Print button to finalize your document. Your spreadsheet should now print in Landscape mode.

Method 3: Adjusting Page Margins

Every inch of space matters when printing an Excel spreadsheet. If your data is just slightly spilling onto a second page, adjusting the page margins can be a quick solution. Here’s how to optimize your margins for a perfect one-page print:

Step 1: Open the Page Layout tab.

Click on Page Layout in the top menu. Then, locate the Margins dropdown menu in the Page Setup section.

Step 2: Choose a predefined margin setting.

Excel provides several built-in margin options:

• Normal – Standard margins with equal spacing on all sides.

• Wide – Increases the margin size, which can help if your text is too close to the edges but is not ideal for fitting everything on one page.

• Narrow – Reduces the margins, allowing more content to fit on the page.

If your spreadsheet is slightly too large to fit on one page, choosing Narrow is often the quickest fix.

Step 3: Customize margins manually (If needed).

For more precise control, you can manually adjust the margins. Click Margins > Custom Margins at the bottom of the drop-down menu. You’ll see fields for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins in the Page Setup window. To create more usable space, reduce these values slightly (e.g., set 0.25 inches instead of 0.5 inches). Click OK to apply the changes.

Pro tip: Be mindful of printer limitations—some printers require a minimum margin size, so setting margins too small may cause part of the content to be cut off.

Step 4: Center the content for a professional look.

If your spreadsheet doesn’t fill the entire page, you can make it look more polished by centering it. In the Page Setup window, go to the Margins tab. Under Center on Page, check either Horizontally or Vertically (or both). Click OK.

Step 5: Check the print preview.

Go to File > Print to preview your spreadsheet. If it still doesn’t fit perfectly, combine margin adjustments with scaling or orientation changes for the best result.

Method 4: Set a Print Area

Your Excel spreadsheet may become cluttered due to unnecessary blank spaces, extra rows, or irrelevant data being included. The best way to avoid this is by setting a print area, i.e., defining exactly what Excel should print while ignoring everything else.

Step 1: Select the data you want to print.

Click and drag to select the range of cells that should be printed. If your data is in non-adjacent sections, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) while selecting multiple areas.

Step 2: Set the print area.

Once your data is selected, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Page Layout tab in the Excel ribbon.

2. Click on Print Area in the Page Setup group.

3. Select Set Print Area from the dropdown menu.

Now, Excel knows to print only the selected section instead of the entire sheet.

Step 3: Check print preview.

To make sure everything looks right. Click on File > Print or press Ctrl + P (Cmd + P on Mac). Review the Print Preview to see how your spreadsheet will look on paper.

Conclusion

Printing an Excel spreadsheet on one page doesn’t have to be complicated if you use the right tools. Experiment with different methods to find what works best for your spreadsheet layout. With a little tweaking, you’ll never have to deal with messy, multi-page printouts again.

For more easy-to-follow Excel guides and the latest Excel Templates, visit Simple Sheets and the related articles section of this blog post.

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FAQ

1. Why is my Excel spreadsheet still printing on multiple pages even after using "Fit to One Page"?

Excel automatically shrinks the content, but if your data is too large, it may become too small to read. Try adjusting column widths, switching to Landscape mode, or setting a custom scaling percentage for better readability.

2. How can I print only specific parts of my spreadsheet?

You can set a Print Area by selecting the desired cells, then going to Page Layout > Print Area > Set Print Area. This ensures that only the selected data appears in the printout instead of the entire sheet.

3. What should I do if my spreadsheet looks too small when printed?

If your text is too small, increase the font size, widen the columns, or reduce scaling instead of using the "Fit to One Page" option. You can also adjust margins and print only essential data to improve readability.

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