Fix Excel Exporting ##### Values to PDF on Windows vs Mac
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where Excel cells display as ##### when a worksheet is exported to PDF on Windows, despite rendering correctly on macOS.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows, macOS
- Scenario
- Exporting a formatted Excel worksheet to PDF across different operating systems.
- Observed behavior
- Formatted values (such as currency) display as ##### in the exported PDF due to font rendering differences between Windows and macOS changing the required column width.
Before altering your layout, ensure that the exact fonts used in your spreadsheet are installed on both your Windows and Mac devices, as missing fonts will trigger layout shifts.
Increase the Affected Column Width Slightly
Manually widening the columns guarantees that font rendering differences between Windows and macOS will not cause numerical values to overflow into ##### symbols.
Different operating systems use unique text rendering engines. A font that fits perfectly inside a cell on macOS might render slightly wider on Windows. Widening the column provides a buffer to accommodate these differences during the PDF export process.
Click the letter at the top of the column that contains the cells displaying the ##### values.
Hover your cursor over the right boundary of the column header until it turns into a double-sided arrow. Click and drag slightly to the right to increase the width.
Navigate to File > Export or File > Save As, select PDF, and save the document to confirm the values now display correctly.
Standardize Fonts and Number Formats
Using universally standard fonts and adjusting formatting reduces layout variations across devices.
Export Perfect PDFs with WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Office provides highly consistent cross-platform formatting, ensuring that what you see on a Mac is exactly what you get on Windows. Its built-in PDF exporter accurately preserves column widths and fonts without the ##### display errors.
- 1. Open your file in WPS Office: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your .xlsx document.
- 2. Verify your layout: Check your columns and optionally double-click column boundaries to AutoFit any tight data.
- 3. Export to PDF: Click 'Menu' in the top left, select 'Export to PDF', and choose your export options to save a perfectly formatted document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do numbers change to hash symbols (#####) in Excel?
Excel displays hash symbols when a cell contains numerical data, such as a date, time, or currency, that is too wide to fit within the current column width. This is a safety feature to prevent the display of partial numbers, which could be misleading.
Why does my spreadsheet look different on a Mac compared to a Windows PC?
Macs and Windows PCs use different underlying text rendering engines and default system fonts. A font character might render slightly wider or have different kerning on Windows, causing perfectly sized cells on a Mac to overflow and display ##### on Windows.
Can I automatically fit all columns to my data before exporting to PDF?
Yes. Click the select-all triangle in the top-left corner of the worksheet (where the row and column headers meet), then double-click the boundary line between any two column letters. This will AutoFit all columns to their contents.
Does changing the page layout or margins fix the ##### error?
Scaling the page layout to 'Fit All Columns on One Page' or adjusting margins can shrink the entire printed output, which may indirectly resolve the ##### display by proportionally reducing the font size relative to the column width.
