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How to Stop Excel Gridlines from Appearing in Exported PDFs
Question details
The user wants to prevent default gridlines from being visible when saving or exporting a worksheet as a PDF file.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting an Excel spreadsheet to a PDF format while ensuring the background gridlines are hidden in the final document.
- Observed behavior
- Gridlines continue to appear in the exported PDF file even when they are not meant to be printed or are not visibly selected for export.
Verify whether the lines you see in the PDF are the default Excel gridlines or manually applied cell borders, as each requires a different method to remove.
Disable Gridlines in Page Layout Settings
The most common reason gridlines appear in exported PDFs is because the 'Print Gridlines' option is enabled in the worksheet's page setup.
Excel handles gridlines differently for viewing on screen and for printing/exporting. Disabling the print setting will remove the gridlines from the PDF output while keeping them visible while you work.
Open your workbook and click on the Page Layout tab located on the top ribbon.
Find the Sheet Options group within the Page Layout ribbon.
Under the Gridlines section, uncheck the box labeled 'Print'. You can leave the 'View' box checked if you still want to see gridlines while editing.
Go to File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document, or use Save As to generate the PDF again and verify the gridlines are gone.
Remove Manually Applied Cell Borders
If adjusting the print settings does not remove the lines, they are likely cell borders applied manually to the data rather than default gridlines.
Update or Repair Software
In rare instances, gridlines persist due to a glitch in the application version or a conflict with a third-party PDF exporter.
Export Clean PDFs Easily with WPS Office
WPS Office provides an intuitive, built-in PDF converter that makes it simple to manage your worksheet's appearance. You can easily toggle gridlines and control print areas for a flawless PDF export.
- 1. Open Your File: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the document you wish to convert.
- 2. Adjust Print Settings: Go to the Page Layout tab and uncheck the 'Print' box under the Gridlines section.
- 3. Export as PDF: Click the Menu button, choose 'Export to PDF', configure your save options, and click Export.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some lines still show up on my PDF after turning off print gridlines?
If you still see lines, they are likely manually applied cell borders instead of default background gridlines. Select the affected cells, go to the Home tab, click the Borders drop-down arrow, and select 'No Border'.
Can I keep gridlines visible on my screen but hide them in the PDF?
Yes. In the Page Layout tab under Sheet Options, you will see two checkboxes for Gridlines: 'View' and 'Print'. Keep 'View' checked to see them on your monitor, but uncheck 'Print' so they do not appear in exported PDFs or physical prints.
Does my PDF viewer affect how Excel exports gridlines?
Generally, the PDF viewer only reads the file generated by Excel. However, if you are using a third-party 'Print to PDF' tool to create the file instead of Excel's built-in 'Save as PDF' feature, the settings within that third-party printer driver might override Excel's page setup.
