Printing Problems

Fix Text Missing from Printed Pages in Excel but Visible in Print Preview

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing an issue where text appears correctly in the print preview but is entirely missing from the physical printed document, leaving blank areas.

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing an Excel spreadsheet to a physical printer.
Observed behavior: The text is fully visible in the print preview screen, but fails to print on the actual paper, resulting in partially or completely blank pages.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting the software, ensure your physical printer has sufficient ink or toner and that the print heads are not clogged. Try printing a test page directly from your printer's control panel to rule out hardware failure.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Printer Drivers and Test Alternative Printers

Outdated or corrupted printer drivers frequently cause communication errors between Office applications and the printer, leading to missing text.

Because the text appears normally in the print preview, the issue often lies in how the document data is being sent to the printer hardware. Updating the driver or testing a different printer helps isolate the problem.

Determine the scope of the issue

Print a different Excel file, and then try printing a document from a non-Office application (like Notepad or a PDF reader). This helps determine if the issue is specific to one Excel file, the entire Excel application, or the printer itself.

Check your Office version

Open Excel, click on 'File', and select 'Account'. Check your current Office version and install any pending updates, as known printing bugs are often patched in newer releases.

Test a virtual printer

Go to 'File' > 'Print'. Under the Printer dropdown, select 'Microsoft Print to PDF' or 'XPS Document Writer' and click Print. If the resulting file contains all the text, the issue is strictly with your physical printer's driver.

Update the printer driver

Open your computer's 'Device Manager', expand the 'Printers' or 'Print queues' section, right-click your printer, and select 'Update driver'. Alternatively, visit the printer manufacturer's official website to download the latest driver.

Printer Firmware: In addition to updating the driver on your computer, check if your printer hardware has a firmware update available through its built-in menu or official management app.

Solution 2

Adjust Print Settings and Clear the Spooler

Conflicting print settings or a stuck print spooler can disrupt the data transfer, causing incomplete document printing.

Seamless Printing Experience

Use WPS Office for Flawless Spreadsheet Printing

If Microsoft Excel continues to drop text during printing, switch to WPS Office. WPS Spreadsheet provides an accurate rendering engine that guarantees your printed documents will perfectly match the print preview.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office from the official website.
2. Open your file: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing Excel document.
3. Print the document: Click on 'Menu' > 'Print' or press Ctrl+P. Verify the preview and click 'Print' to get a perfect physical copy.

Accurate Print Preview ensuring 'what you see is what you get'.Seamless format compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls).Lightweight architecture that communicates efficiently with printer drivers.Completely free to use with a familiar, easy-to-navigate interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel show text in print preview but print blank?

This mismatch usually occurs due to outdated printer drivers, communication errors between the Office application and the printer, or depleted ink/toner cartridges for a specific color used in the text.

How do I test if the printer hardware is causing the missing text?

Change your printer destination to 'Microsoft Print to PDF' and print the file. If the generated PDF contains all the text correctly, the issue lies with your physical printer or its driver, not the spreadsheet file.

Can font colors or conditional formatting cause text not to print?

Yes. If text is formatted with very light colors or conditional formatting renders the text white against a background that doesn't print, it may be visible on a bright, backlit monitor during print preview but completely invisible on actual white paper.

Document & File Issues