Excel Tips: Selecting Paper Size | Excel

Introduction

Working with spreadsheets in Excel can be a bit tricky, especially when it comes to printing your work. Choosing the right paper size is an essential step in ensuring that your printed spreadsheet looks neat and professional. In this post, we’ll discuss how to select the best paper size for your Excel sheets and why it’s important to make this choice carefully.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Paper Size

Prevent unwanted page breaks: Excel allows you to adjust the width and height of your worksheet, and your choice of paper size can affect how your spreadsheet will look when printed. An appropriate paper size will allow you to avoid unwanted page breaks and ensure that all the data is displayed without being cut off.
Saves time and resources: Selecting the correct paper size can help you avoid printing multiple copies of the same spreadsheet due to printing issues caused by using the wrong paper size. This saves cost, time, and resources.
Professional presentation: Choosing the right paper size also impacts the presentation of your spreadsheet. A neatly printed Excel file looks professional and helps the reader follow the information easily.

Now, let’s dive into how to choose your paper size in Excel.

Key Takeaways

Choosing the right paper size in Excel is essential for a neat and professional printout.
An appropriate paper size can prevent unwanted page breaks and save time and resources.
Professional presentation impacts the readability of the Excel file.
Proper paper size selection ensures a seamless printing experience.

Understanding Your Spreadsheet

Before selecting a paper size for your Excel spreadsheet, it's important to understand the purpose of the document, the amount of data it contains, and how it will be used. Here are a few key points to consider:

Determine the Purpose of the Spreadsheet

Ask yourself why you're creating this spreadsheet. Is it for personal use or is it a professional document? Will it be used to track expenses, inventory or sales? Understanding the intended use of the spreadsheet will help you choose a paper size that is appropriate and practical.

Identify the Number of Columns and Rows Needed for the Spreadsheet

Take a look at your document and determine the number of columns and rows it contains. Does it have a standard set of columns or a custom set of your choosing? Will you need to add or remove columns and rows in the future? Consider these questions to get a better sense of what paper size you'll need to use.

Analyze the Data to Decide on a Suitable Paper Size

The amount of data that goes into the spreadsheet is also an important consideration. If it contains a large amount of data, you may require more columns and rows, which would mean a larger paper size. Smaller documents, like checklists or inventory lists, may not require as much room, meaning a smaller paper size would be sufficient.

Consider Printing Capabilities

One last thing to consider when choosing a paper size for your Excel spreadsheet is your printing capabilities. Make sure your printer supports the size you choose to avoid any printing issues or unexpected formatting changes.

Standard Paper Sizes

When you create a spreadsheet in Excel, you may need to print it out at some point. Knowing the standard paper sizes that Excel supports can be helpful in ensuring that your printed spreadsheet looks as intended. Here are the most commonly used paper sizes for Excel spreadsheets:

Letter

The Letter paper size is the most commonly used paper size for printing in North America. It's 8.5 x 11 inches and is suitable for printing standard documents, such as letters, invoices, and memos. When creating a spreadsheet that you intend to print in North America, you should select the Letter paper size.

Examples of when to use the Letter paper size:

Printing out a budget sheet for personal finances.
Printing an invoice for a small business.
Printing a timesheet for employees.

Legal

The Legal paper size is also used in North America and is slightly longer than the Letter size. It's 8.5 x 14 inches and is commonly used for printing legal documents, such as contracts or agreements. When creating a spreadsheet that you intend to print on Legal size paper, you should select the Legal paper size.

Examples of when to use the Legal paper size:

Printing out a contract for signing.
Printing a report on legal matters.

A4

A4 paper size is the most commonly used paper size in the rest of the world. It measures 210mm x 297mm and is used for printing all kinds of documents, including spreadsheets. When creating a spreadsheet that you intend to print outside of North America, you should select the A4 paper size.

Examples of when to use the A4 paper size:

Printing out a financial report for a global company.
Printing out a shipping label for international delivery.

Custom Paper Sizes

For Excel users that are unable to find a print paper size that suits their needs or would like to create something unique, custom paper sizes are the way to go. In the following sections, we will explore how to make custom paper sizes, the steps involved, and the situations where it is advisable to use them.

How to Create a Custom Paper Size in Excel

Before printing, if a custom paper size isn't already available in the print settings, it can be created in a few simple steps:

Step 1: At the top left corner of the Excel screen, select the "File" tab, and choose "Print" from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: A print settings tab will appear. Under the Settings section, choose the "Custom" option. After that, a dialog box will open, where you can customise your paper size by clicking on the "Add" button.
Step 3: The dialog box that appears will contain essential fields to fill in- name, width, and height for the custom paper size. The paper size name should be memorable, and the height and width must be accurately measured in inches.
Step 4: Once all the required fields are filled out, click the "OK" button, and the new custom paper size will appear in the print settings options. Choose it as needed, then print as usual.

Examples of When to Use a Custom Paper Size

Custom paper sizes are ideal when users wish to modify the standard paper sizes to suit their print job. A few examples of these situations are:

Printing an irregularly shaped document - it is common to print brochures with non-standard dimensions, so a custom paper size for such a print job will be useful.
Printing onto pre-cut sheets - certain users might have pre-cut papers of a specific size that hasn’t been officially adopted by Excel. In this instance, a custom paper size is necessary as it enables the dimensions to fit seamlessly without gaps during printing.
Printing oversized sheets - Sometimes, standard paper sizes might not be adequate for a particular purpose. Users can make custom paper sizes for large-format print jobs, as they can easily print to larger sheets of paper that meet their specific needs.

Page Layout and Scaling Options

When working with Excel, selecting the correct paper size is crucial to ensure your spreadsheet fits perfectly onto the printed page. This is where page layout and scaling options come into play - these tools allow you to adjust the size and orientation of your spreadsheet to fit onto a specific paper size.

Accessing Page Layout and Scaling Options in Excel

To access page layout and scaling options, first navigate to the "Page Layout" tab at the top of the Excel window. From here, you will see several different groups of formatting options, including "Themes," "Page Setup," "Page Background," and "Print Titles."

Next, locate the "Page Setup" group and click the small arrow in the bottom right corner. This will open the "Page Setup" dialog box, where you can adjust various page settings.

Adjusting Page Layout and Scaling Options

Once the "Page Setup" dialog box is open, you can adjust page layout and scaling options to fit your spreadsheet to a specific paper size. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Choose the paper size - Click on the "Paper" tab and select your desired paper size from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Choose the orientation - Decide whether you want your spreadsheet to be printed in portrait or landscape orientation. Click on the "Page" tab and select either "Portrait" or "Landscape" from the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Adjust scaling - If your spreadsheet is too large to fit onto the selected paper size, you can adjust the scaling options to shrink it down. Click on the "Scaling" field and select a percentage value or choose "Fit to" and enter the number of pages wide or tall you want the spreadsheet to be printed on.
Step 4: Adjust margins - You can also manually adjust the margins of the spreadsheet to fit onto a specific paper size. Click on the "Margins" tab and enter the desired margin values in the "Top," "Bottom," "Left," and "Right" fields.

By following these steps, you can easily select the correct paper size and adjust page layout and scaling options to ensure your Excel spreadsheet looks great when it is printed.

Printing Your Spreadsheet

Once you have prepared your spreadsheet, you might want to print it. Printing helps you to review the data, make changes or share with others. Excel allows you to customize the print settings according to your requirements. Here is how to print your spreadsheet on the selected paper size:

Preview Your Spreadsheet Before Printing

Before printing, you can preview your spreadsheet to make sure it fits the entire page and looks presentable. To preview your spreadsheet, follow these steps:

Click on File > Print > Print Preview.
The spreadsheet will open in Print Preview mode.
You can view the different pages of the spreadsheet by clicking on the arrows at the top of the screen.
If the spreadsheet looks good, click on Print to print it out.

Adjust the Print Settings for Different Paper Sizes

If you want to adjust the print settings for different paper sizes, follow these steps:

Click on File > Print > Print Settings.
Select Print Settings from the dropdown menu.
Under Print Settings, click on the arrow next to Paper Size.
Select the paper size you want to print on.
Excel will scale your data automatically to fit the page.

Print Your Spreadsheet on the Selected Paper Size

Once you have adjusted the print settings for the paper size, you can proceed to print the spreadsheet on the selected paper size. Follow these steps:

Click on File > Print.
Select the printer you want to use.
Click on the Print button.

Excel will automatically print your spreadsheet on the selected paper size. By following these simple steps, you can easily print your spreadsheet on any paper size you want.

Conclusion

Choosing the correct paper size for Excel spreadsheets is a crucial aspect of creating, printing and sharing professional-looking documents. In this blog post, we discussed the various paper sizes that are commonly available, walked through the steps to change the paper size in Excel, and provided tips for optimizing your spreadsheet for printing or sharing.

To summarize, your paper size should be selected based on your intended use, the amount of data in your spreadsheet and your printer's capabilities. Some of the takeaways from this post include:

Understand the common paper sizes used in Excel, such as Letter, Legal, and A4
Use Page Layout view to preview how your spreadsheet looks on a page with a particular paper size
Adjust the page setup options, including margins, scaling, and orientation to achieve the desired outcome
Consider using Excel's built-in Page Break Preview to adjust page breaks for optimal printing or sharing

We hope that these tips have helped you understand how to select and modify paper size in Excel. By utilizing these best practices, you can ensure that your spreadsheet is clearly presented, easy to read, and effectively communicates your data. Happy spreadsheeting!

Excel Dashboard