Printing Problems

How to Set Excel to Fit Every Workbook to One Printed Page

WPS Editor Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

Configure Excel's print settings to automatically scale worksheets so they fit onto a single printed page for all newly created workbooks.

How to Set Excel to Fit Every Workbook to One Printed Page

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating new Excel workbooks and needing them to default to a 1-page-wide by 1-page-tall print scaling to avoid paper waste.
Observed behavior: By default, Excel prints at 100% scale, often causing data to spill over onto multiple pages. The goal is to force a fit-to-one-page default state for future files.

Before you start

Ensure you close any active workbooks with unsaved data and open a completely blank workbook before configuring your new default template.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Page Setup and Save as Default Template

Adjust the scaling settings to 'Fit to 1 page' in a blank workbook, then save this file as a default template in the XLSTART folder so all new files inherit this print rule.

Excel uses a default template for every new workbook you create. By saving a custom template named 'Book.xltx' into Excel's startup folder, you can permanently alter the default page layout, print settings, and formatting for all future spreadsheets.

Open Page Setup

Create a new blank workbook. Navigate to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon and click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group to launch the Page Setup dialog.

Set Scaling to Fit One Page

In the Page tab of the dialog box, find the Scaling section. Select the 'Fit to' option and set both 'page(s) wide by' and 'tall' to 1. Click OK to apply the setting.

Save as Excel Template

Go to File > Save As. In the 'Save as type' dropdown menu, select 'Excel Template (*.xltx)'.

Save to the XLSTART Folder

Name the file exactly 'Book.xltx'. Navigate to the XLSTART folder, typically located at C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART, and click Save. New workbooks created from now on will use these print settings.

Configure Page Setup and Save as Default Template

Finding the XLSTART Folder: If you cannot find the AppData folder, you may need to enable 'Hidden items' in the Windows File Explorer View tab. Alternatively, check C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office[Version]\XLSTART.

Easily Fit Worksheets to One Page Using WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Office provides an intuitive, free alternative to Microsoft Excel. You can quickly scale your spreadsheets to fit on a single printed page and enjoy high compatibility with all Excel file formats.

1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open a new or existing spreadsheet.
2. Access Print Preview: Click on the Menu icon at the top left, go to Print, and select Print Preview.
3. Select Fit Sheet on One Page: In the Print Preview toolbar, click the 'No Scaling' dropdown menu and change it to 'Fit Sheet on One Page'.
4. Print Your Document: Click the Print icon to print your worksheet perfectly scaled onto a single sheet of paper.

Free, lightweight, and fast-loading office suiteFully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xltx)One-click 'Fit Sheet on One Page' print settingUser-friendly interface similar to Microsoft Office

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Excel file still printing on multiple pages after setting it to fit one page?

If your worksheet contains an excessive amount of columns or rows, forcing it to fit on one page might make the text unreadably small, and Excel may split it if it exceeds printer hardware margins. Additionally, check if a specific Print Area is set under the Page Layout tab that might be overriding your settings.

How do I revert the default template back to normal?

To restore the original default Excel settings, simply navigate to your XLSTART folder (C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART) and delete or rename the 'Book.xltx' file. Excel will immediately revert to generating standard blank workbooks.

Can I set this fit-to-page rule for only a specific worksheet instead of all new workbooks?

Yes. Instead of saving the file as 'Book.xltx' in the XLSTART folder, simply open the specific file, adjust the 'Fit to' setting in the Page Setup dialog, and save your workbook normally. The setting will apply only to that specific document.

Document & File Issues