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How to Fix Excel Printing Legal-Size Pages as Letter Size
Question details
The user needs to fix an issue where Excel reduces legal-size worksheets to letter-size pages during printing.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Printing legal-size worksheets
- Observed behavior
- Excel incorrectly reduces and prints legal-size documents on letter-size paper due to conflicting paper settings.
Ensure your printer is loaded with legal-size paper and that the physical paper guides in the tray are adjusted correctly.
Adjust Excel Page Setup and Printer Properties
Ensure that both Excel's internal page setup and the printer's properties are explicitly set to Legal size with 100% scaling.
Often, a mismatch between Excel's internal print settings and the printer driver's default settings causes the document to shrink during printing.
Go to File > Print and select your desired printer from the dropdown menu.
Click on Printer Properties below the printer name, and set the paper size to Legal in the dialogue box.
Click on Page Setup at the bottom of the print settings. Select Legal paper from the Page tab.
In the same Page Setup window, ensure scaling is set to 'Adjust to 100% normal size' instead of 'Fit to' a letter-size page.
Update Windows Printing Preferences and Drivers
System-level settings or outdated drivers might override Excel's print configurations.
Remove and Reinstall the Printer
If adjusting settings and updating drivers fails, reinstalling the printer can clear corrupted configuration profiles.
Print Legal-Size Worksheets Perfectly with WPS Spreadsheet
Avoid Excel scaling issues by using WPS Spreadsheet to manage and print your documents. WPS Office provides an intuitive Page Layout interface, ensuring your legal-size documents print exactly as intended.
- 1. Open Your Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your spreadsheet file.
- 2. Set Page Size: Navigate to the Page Layout tab and click on Size to select 'Legal'.
- 3. Verify Print Preview: Click the Menu button at the top left, then select Print > Print Preview to verify the scaling is correct.
- 4. Print the Document: Click Print, select your printer, ensure its properties are set to Legal, and click OK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my printer default to letter size instead of legal?
Printers often default to letter size due to regional Windows settings. You can change this globally by navigating to Windows Printing Preferences and updating the default paper size to Legal.
What does the 'Fit to page' scaling option do in Excel?
The 'Fit to page' scaling option forces your entire worksheet to shrink and fit onto a specified number of printed pages. If your target is set to a letter-size page, this will inadvertently shrink a legal-size layout.
How do I check if my printer driver is up to date?
Visit the official website of your printer's manufacturer (e.g., Epson, HP, Canon), navigate to their support or downloads section, and search for your specific printer model to find and install the newest drivers.
Can I set only a specific area of my worksheet to print in legal size?
Yes. Highlight the cells you want to print, go to Page Layout > Print Area > Set Print Area, and then configure your page size to Legal before printing.
