Fix Excel 2021 Gridlines Missing from Print Preview and Printed Pages
Question details
The user needs Excel 2021 worksheet gridlines to appear in Print Preview and on printed pages, but they only appear on screen unless cell borders are manually added.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel 2021
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Preparing a worksheet for printing with visible gridlines for readability.
- Observed behavior
- Gridlines are enabled in Excel 2021 but do not appear in Print Preview or on printed pages unless cell borders are added.
Open the workbook in Excel 2021 and confirm that gridlines are visible on screen. Also check whether a print area is set, because a print area can exclude the cells you expect to print.
Enable the Print Gridlines option in Excel 2021
Use this first when gridlines are visible on screen but missing from Print Preview and prints.
Excel 2021 separates the View gridlines setting from the Print gridlines setting. The worksheet can show gridlines on screen while the Print checkbox remains off.
Open the Excel 2021 workbook and select the worksheet whose gridlines are missing from print output.
Click the Page Layout tab, then locate the Sheet Options group on the ribbon.
Under Gridlines, tick the Print checkbox. Make sure the View checkbox is also ticked if you want gridlines on screen.
Press Ctrl+P to open Print Preview and confirm the worksheet gridlines appear before sending the file to the printer.
Check gridline color and printer driver in Excel 2021
Use this when Print Gridlines is enabled but gridlines are still faint or missing in printed copies.
Apply cell borders instead of worksheet gridlines
Use this as the most reliable alternative when gridlines still do not print after settings and driver checks.
Print Gridlines More Reliably with WPS Office Spreadsheets
WPS Office is a free, lightweight Microsoft Office alternative that opens Excel workbooks and includes an easy Print Gridlines option. It keeps the familiar ribbon layout, supports .xlsx and .xls, and helps you migrate from Excel without losing formatting.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Go to the official WPS Office website and download the free Windows, macOS, or Linux version.
- 2. Open the Excel workbook: Launch WPS Office and open the .xlsx workbook in WPS Spreadsheets.
- 3. Enable Print Gridlines: Click Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines > Print, then use Ctrl+P to preview and print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do gridlines show in Excel but not in Print Preview?
Excel has separate View and Print gridlines settings. Go to Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines and tick the Print checkbox to include gridlines in print output.
How do I make gridlines darker in Excel 2021?
Click File > Options > Advanced, find Display options for this worksheet, and change Gridline color to a darker color such as black.
Can I print gridlines in WPS Office Spreadsheets?
Yes. Open the workbook in WPS Spreadsheets, click Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines > Print, then preview with Ctrl+P.
Are cell borders better than gridlines for printing?
Cell borders are part of the cell formatting and usually print more reliably across different printer drivers, so they are a good alternative when worksheet gridlines do not print.
