Printing Problems

How to Fix an Excel Chart That Prints as a Blank Page

Adam Davis Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where an Excel chart prints as a completely blank page despite displaying correctly on the computer screen.

How to Fix an Excel Chart That Prints as a Blank Page

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to print a spreadsheet that contains one or more graphical charts.
Observed behavior: The chart renders correctly within the Excel interface and sometimes in print preview, but the physical printed output is a blank sheet of paper.

Before you start

Ensure that your printer has sufficient ink or toner, and print a simple text document to verify that the printer hardware is functioning correctly.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Print Area and Page Setup Settings

Clearing restrictive print areas and disabling draft modes ensures that Excel sends graphic elements to the printer.

Often, Excel restricts printing to a specific data range if a Print Area was previously set, accidentally excluding the chart. Additionally, performance settings like 'Draft quality' are designed to skip graphics to save ink.

Clear the Print Area

Navigate to the Page Layout tab on the Excel ribbon, click on 'Print Area', and select 'Clear Print Area' to remove any invisible boundaries.

Disable Draft Quality

Click the small dialog launcher arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group (on the Page Layout tab). Go to the 'Sheet' tab and uncheck 'Draft quality' and 'Black and white'.

Use Print Preview

Go to File > Print (or press Ctrl + P). Verify that the chart is now visible in the preview pane before sending it to the printer.

Verify Print Area and Page Setup Settings

Printing Only the Chart: If you want to print the chart on a single page by itself, simply click on the chart to highlight it before pressing Ctrl + P.

Solution 2

Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers

Updating your printer driver resolves communication errors that cause complex visual data like charts to be dropped during printing.

Solution 3

Export the Chart to a PDF Before Printing

Saving your document as a PDF locks in the visual formatting and bypasses Excel-specific printing glitches.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Hassle-Free Chart Printing

Tired of troubleshooting Excel printing errors? WPS Office offers a free, lightweight alternative with flawless chart rendering and highly compatible printing features, saving you time and frustration.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free suite and install it on your PC or Mac.
2. Open Your Spreadsheet: Right-click your existing Excel file, select 'Open with', and choose WPS Spreadsheet.
3. Print Without Errors: Press Ctrl + P to preview your chart and print it successfully without missing any graphics.

Perfect compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) files and chart formats.Reliable Print Preview that accurately shows what will appear on paper.Built-in PDF exporter to save your charts as PDFs with just one click.Free, lightweight, and features a familiar user interface for a seamless transition.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Excel print preview show a blank page?

This typically occurs if the set 'Print Area' points to an empty region of your worksheet, or if a specific graphical object is selected that contains no printable data. Clearing the print area under the Page Layout tab usually resolves this.

Can selecting the wrong printer cause charts to print blank?

Yes. Different printers handle graphical data differently. If a virtual printer or an incompatible device is selected, it might fail to process the chart's formatting, resulting in a blank page. Always ensure the correct physical printer is active.

How can I print only the chart without the surrounding spreadsheet data?

Simply click on the chart once to select it, then go to File > Print. Excel will automatically adjust the settings to print only the selected chart, scaling it to fit the page.

What should I do if the background colors of my chart don't print?

Check your Page Setup settings. Navigate to Page Layout, click the Page Setup dialog launcher, go to the Sheet tab, and ensure the 'Black and white' and 'Draft quality' checkboxes are disabled.

Document & File Issues