You click Print in Excel, but nothing comes out, or the pages arrive with missing columns. Start with the destination and print preview, then use a test workbook to pinpoint the problem. These fixes cover desktop Excel on Windows, with Mac and browser instructions where they differ.
Check where Excel is sending the file
Open File > Print and select the physical printer you want to use.
Check the destination settings: the Windows printer status should show Ready, with neither Print to PDF nor Print to file selected for paper output.
Choose All pages unless you deliberately want a restricted page range.
Check the preview before selecting Print. If cells or columns are already missing there, start with the worksheet settings below.
Find out whether the problem follows the workbook
A test print separates a workbook problem from an Excel or printer problem.
Print a different workbook through File > Print.
If you need a test file, choose File > New > Blank workbook.
Enter a little sample text.
Save the test workbook with File > Save As.
Print it through File > Print.
On Windows, print from Notepad or Paint using File > Print. If those applications fail too, go to the printer connection and queue checks below. If only the original workbook fails, focus on its settings and contents.
Correct the print area and page layout
For blank previews, missing columns, or tiny printouts, check these settings in Windows Excel.
- 1.Open File > Print > Settings and choose Print Active Sheets, Print Entire Workbook, or Print Selection. If a selected chart is taking over the printout, select a worksheet cell before reopening the print screen.
- 2.Open the print-scope dropdown and select Ignore Print Area. Check the preview to see the output without the saved print-area restriction.
- 3.To remove that restriction, select the affected worksheet and choose Page Layout > Page Setup > Print Area > Clear Print Area. To define a specific range instead, select its cells and choose Page Layout > Print Area > Set Print Area.
- 4.For columns spilling onto separate pages, open Page Layout > Scale to Fit. Set Width to 1 page and Height to Automatic. Forcing a large worksheet onto one page in both directions shrinks the text along with it.
- 5.Match Page Layout > Size to the loaded paper. Choose Landscape or Portrait under Page Layout > Orientation, and check that the printer's paper setting matches Excel's.
- 6.If the output is still too small to read, choose File > Print > Settings > No Scaling. Check the preview before printing again.
Export a PDF when you need a printing workaround
A PDF gives you another printing route when sending the workbook directly from Excel fails.
On Windows, open File > Save As or Save a copy.
Choose PDF (*.pdf) under Save as type.
Select Standard (publishing online and printing).
Use Options to select the content to include.
Select Save.
On a Mac, press Command+P in Excel.
Choose PDF > Save as PDF to save the file.
Open the saved PDF in a viewer.
Inspect its pages before printing.
Use the viewer's Print control to send it to the physical printer.
For font or image processing failures in Acrobat, select Print this file > Advanced > Print as Image.
Select OK.
Select Print.
If the PDF still refuses to print, continue with the printer connection and queue checks next.
Clear a blocked printer queue
These checks address printing failures that affect other applications or an exported PDF too.
Check the printer's power, paper, ink or toner, and cables.
Resolve any printer-panel error using your model's instructions.
For wireless printing, confirm that the printer and computer are on the same network.
For a USB printer, connect it directly to a computer USB port instead of a hub.
On Windows, turn the printer off.
Unplug it for 30 seconds.
Reconnect the power.
Turn it on.
Wait for it to finish starting.
To clear blocked Windows jobs, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > your printer > Open print queue.
Select ... > Cancel all. This cancels the queued jobs, including anything you still want printed.
Test the printer through Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > your printer > Printer properties > General > Print Test Page.
If Windows printing remains blocked, press Windows+R.
Enter services.msc.
Press Enter.
Right-click Print Spooler and select Restart. If Windows requests administrator approval, an administrator must authorize the action.
Resubmit the jobs you still want printed after the queue clears.
On a Mac, open Applications > Utilities > Print Center.
For a paused printer, select it and choose Resume.
For a held job, select it and choose Resume Job.
For a blocking job, select it and choose Delete Job.
Isolate a workbook that refuses to print
If the test workbook prints, use it to check the original file's contents.
Add one font, table, or drawing object from the original file to the test workbook.
Print the test workbook through File > Print after each addition. Repeat this test one component at a time to identify what triggers the failure.
If a different font prints successfully, select the affected cells in the original workbook.
Choose another font from the ribbon's Font dropdown.
For an alternative printing copy on Windows, right-click the worksheet tab and select Move or Copy. On Mac, use Edit > Sheet > Move or Copy Sheet.
Choose a new workbook as the destination.
Select Create a copy.
Select OK.
Save the new workbook under a different name through File > Save As.
Check its formulas, charts, and layout.
Try File > Print in the new workbook.
If copying fails and disk or network errors are involved, move or copy the original workbook to a local hard disk before attempting recovery.
To repair the file on Windows, open File > Open > Browse.
Select the affected workbook.
Use the arrow beside Open to choose Open and Repair.
Select Repair.
If repair fails, use Extract Data to attempt recovery of the workbook's values and formulas.
Test Excel without add-ins on Windows
Check Excel's status bar for an active operation.
Let that operation finish before issuing another print command.
Close Excel completely.
Restart the PC.
Reopen the workbook.
Try File > Print.
If printing still fails, press Windows+R.
Enter excel /safe.
Select OK to start Office Safe Mode.
Test the workbook through File > Print.
After the test, exit Excel.
Reopen Excel normally.
If printing worked in Safe Mode, open File > Options > Add-ins.
Under Manage, select COM Add-ins.
Select Go.
Clear the add-in checkboxes.
Select OK.
Restart Excel.
Test printing through File > Print.
Re-enable one add-in through File > Options > Add-ins > Manage > COM Add-ins > Go.
Test printing again. Repeat this sequence for each add-in to identify the conflict.
For Excel add-ins, open File > Options > Add-Ins > Manage > Excel Add-Ins > Go.
Clear one add-in's checkbox.
Select OK.
Restart Excel.
Test through File > Print. Repeat with the remaining Excel add-ins as needed.
Keep the identified add-in disabled or get an updated version from its vendor.
Update Excel and repair Office if needed
Updates and Office repair address persistent Excel failures after the workbook and printer checks.
On Windows, open File > Account > Product Information > Update Options in Excel.
Select Enable Updates if updates are disabled.
Select Update Now. If Update Options is absent, use the installation's Microsoft Update or organization-managed update route.
On Mac, choose Help > Check for Updates.
In Microsoft AutoUpdate, select Update or Update All.
For an App Store installation, open App Store > Updates instead.
Select the update for Excel or Update All.
If other Windows applications also cannot print, open the printer manufacturer's official support page.
Select your exact printer model and operating system.
Install the supported driver offered for that combination.
For continuing Excel failures on Windows 11, right-click Start and select Installed apps.
Locate Microsoft 365 or Office and open its repair options.
Select Quick Repair. This repairs the Office suite.
If that fails, return to the repair options for Microsoft 365 or Office.
Select Online Repair.
Select Repair.
Use Excel's own controls in a browser
Excel for the web has its own printing controls. Start there to generate the worksheet's printable output.
Inside Excel, choose File > Print > Print.
Select the intended content.
Review the print settings.
Select Print to open the browser's print dialog.
Choose your physical printer.
Select Print in the browser dialog.
For desktop print features such as repeating column headings on every page, choose Editing > Open in Desktop App. This requires an installed, licensed desktop version of Excel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel print extra blank pages?
Unused formatting can extend the worksheet's last used cell. On Windows, press Ctrl+End to inspect it. Select genuinely empty rows or columns beyond your data. Choose Home > Editing > Clear > Clear All. Save the workbook, close it, then reopen it.
Why are some rows missing from my Excel printout?
Hidden rows and applied filters exclude data from the printout. Select the row headers on both sides of a hidden region. Right-click the selection and choose Unhide. To clear applied filters on Windows, select Data > Clear.
How do I print the gridlines in Excel?
In Windows desktop Excel, select Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines > Print. If gridlines still disappear, open File > Print > Page Setup > Sheet. Clear Draft quality. For printable borders, including in Excel for the web, select the cells and apply Home > Font > Borders > All Borders.
Can a work workbook block printing even when the printer works?
Yes. A rights-protected workbook can prohibit printing. Select View Permission in its permissions message bar. Ask the owner for print rights or a print-enabled copy. For organization-controlled printing restrictions, contact your administrator.