How to Print Only One of Two Print Areas in Excel
Question details
The user needs to print only one specific area or page from a worksheet that has multiple defined print areas, without modifying or deleting the existing print areas on a protected sheet.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing specific sections of a protected worksheet.
- Observed behavior
- The user wants to output only one defined print area but the spreadsheet defaults to printing all defined print areas.
Ensure your printer is properly connected and that you know the exact cell range you wish to print. If the worksheet is protected, you may need the password to run certain VBA macros.
Use the Print Selection Option
The simplest method to print a specific area without altering the worksheet's defined print settings.
Highlight the specific range of cells you want to print on your worksheet using your mouse or keyboard.
Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner and select 'Print', or simply press Ctrl+P on your keyboard.
Under the Settings section, click the first dropdown menu (which usually says 'Print Active Sheets') and change it to 'Print Selection'.
Check the print preview to ensure only your selected area is displayed, then click the 'Print' button.
Print Specific Pages
Useful if your defined print areas automatically separate onto different pages.
Temporarily Change Print Area using VBA
A programmatic approach to isolate one print area, print it, and restore the original settings, ideal for repetitive tasks.
Easily Manage Print Areas with WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Spreadsheet provides an intuitive interface for managing multiple print areas and selecting specific cells to print without disrupting your protected worksheets.
- 1. Open your file: Launch WPS Office and open your spreadsheet.
- 2. Highlight cells: Select the exact cell range you wish to print using your cursor.
- 3. Open Print settings: Click 'Menu' > 'Print' or press Ctrl+P on your keyboard.
- 4. Print selection: In the Print dialog box, select 'Selection' under the 'Print what' section and click 'OK'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete one print area without affecting the others?
If you want to permanently remove one print area, you can go to the Page Layout tab, click Print Area, and choose Clear Print Area. However, this clears all set areas. You will need to manually highlight and set the remaining areas you want to keep.
Why is the Print Selection option grayed out?
This usually happens if you haven't highlighted any specific cells before opening the Print menu, or if a specific chart or floating object is selected instead of a standard cell range.
Does the VBA method work if the sheet is strictly protected?
Standard macros will fail to change the Print Area on a protected sheet. You must either unprotect the sheet at the beginning of the macro (and reprotect it at the end) or ensure the worksheet was protected using the 'UserInterfaceOnly:=True' parameter.
