Do you sometimes need to only print one part of your Excel work sheet, like a summary of sales or a particular quarter revenue?
Sometimes you would need to always print the same selected area of a particular worksheet. You can set up a specific area, or indeed multiple areas, then when you go to print, just select the already set up area to send to print. This saves time, paper and ink and is really simple to do.
I find the easiest way to set an area to print for a specific work sheet is from the Ribbon and Excel will continue to recognise this in your work sheet until you clear it or set another one.
So, to use the Ribbon to set an area in Excel 2010
- Select the range of cells you wish to print- these can be contiguous or non contiguous. If non contiguous just hold down the CTRL key as you make your selection.
- In the Page Layout Tab- Page Set Up Group
- Choose your cells
- Set Print Area
All well and good but what if you want to include some extra cells, such as a new summary?.
- Select the range of cells that you want to add
- On the Page Layout Tab- Page Set Up Group
- Select Print Area
- Click Add To Print Area
Let’s look at clearing an area, in the cases where you have no more need to print a specific area in your work book.
- Click anywhere in your work book or work sheet that you want clear the area from
- On the Page Layout Tab- Page Set Up Group
- Hit Clear Print Area
Let’s really turn up the volume here and set some multiple areas for printing. Once you have selected one area,
- Select your next
- Page Set Up Group
- Print Area will now have Add Print Area
- Just select it to add your new area
If you change your mind about wanting to only print your pre set area, you can choose to ignore the area this one time, but leaving it intact for another time by choosing the ignore print area option on the print menu. To use this function
- Select the File Tab
- Hit Print
- Print Active Sheets drop down menu
- Choose Ignore Print Area
These Excel print area options are a great way to designate areas which will help you save time, by not having to request the same area over and over again as well as ink and paper by printing less.
