Headers and Footers

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Headers and Footers' topic. Click the article's title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

Adding a File Path and Filename
If you need to stuff the current workbook's filename and path into a cell or a header or footer, you'll appreciate the formulas in this tip. They are quick and easy to use.

Adding Ampersands in Headers and Footers
Place an ampersand into the text of a page header or footer, and you might be surprised to see it missing in your printout. This is due to the way in which Excel interprets the ampersand. Here's how to get around the problem.

Ampersands in Headers and Footers
Add an ampersand to the text in a header or footer and you may be surprised that the ampersand disappears on your printout. There's a reason for that (and a way around it) as discussed in this tip.

Changing Section Headers
Excel doesn't provide a very easy way to vary headers or footers during a printout. This tip explains how you can use a macro to do your printing and make the changes on the fly.

Creating a Footer
Adding a predefined or custom footer to an Excel worksheet.

Creating a Header
Adding a predefined or custom header to an Excel worksheet.

Creating Long Page Footers
Ever wish that you could create nice, long footers that appear at the bottom of each page when you print your worksheet? Excel is lacking a bit in this capability, but there are ways you can get around the limitation.

Date Last Edited
When adding headers or footers to your worksheets, you may want to include the date that the workbook was last edited. Excel doesn't provide such information, but you can create your own date.

Default Headers and Footers
Changing the look of default headers and footers for your Excel workbooks.

Deleting a Footer
Each new Excel worksheet contains a page footer, by default. Follow this tip to get rid of the footers you don't really need.

Deleting a Header
Each new Excel worksheet contains a page header, by default. Follow this tip to get rid of headers you don't need.

Dynamic Headers and Footers
Do you want to change the headers and footers that appear on different pages of your printout? Here's how you can get just what you want.

Full Path Names in Headers or Footers
Using a macro to add the full path name into a header or footer in an Excel worksheet.

Graphics in Headers or Footers
A few workarounds for getting a graphic in an Excel header or footer.

Header and Footer Background Color
Want to add some color to the printing of your page headers and footers? Your options are limited, as disclosed in this tip.

Header and Footer Data Codes
A listing of command codes for Excel headers and footers.

Header and Footer Formatting Codes
Formatting codes to use in Excel headers and footers.

Inserting the Saved Date In a Header or Footer
Using a macro to set the date the workbook is saved in the header or footer.

Keep Your Headings in View
How to keep your heading visible while working on the lower rows of the Excel spreadsheet.

Last Saved Date in a Footer
It is sometimes helpful to have the page footer of your worksheet contain the date that the workbook was last saved. Unfortunately, Excel doesn't include a way to add this information. You can, however, add the information with the macros discussed in this tip.

Leading Zeros in Page Numbers
Page numbers in Excel printouts are typically simple counters, without much chance for embellishment. If you want to add leading zeros to your page numbers, the best solution is to use a macro to do your printing.

Moving Part of a Footer Down a Line
When creating a footer for a printout, it is possible for parts of the footer to overwrite other parts. This tip explains how you can use a two-line footer to get around such a problem.

Multiple Line Headers and Footers
Using a macro code to set up a multi line header or footer.

Positioning Headers and Footers
Excel allows you to control where a header and footer appear on each page of a worksheet.

Printing a Multi-Line Footer
Add a footer to your document and you may want to make it span more than a single line. This can be easy to do, provided you remember how to "break" the lines.

Putting a Different Date in a Header
Today's date is easy to add to a header, but what if you want to add a date that is adjusted in some manner? Adding yesterday's date or tomorrow's date, for instance, is easy if you use the macro provided in this tip.

Putting a Graphic in a Header or Footer
Beginning with Excel 2002, Microsoft made it much easier to put a graphic in a worksheet header or footer. Here's how to do it.

Putting Headers and Footers On Multiple Worksheets
Do you need to put the same header or footer on a range of worksheets in the same workbook? It's easier to do than you think, following the technique in this tip.

Putting Spreadsheet Names in Headers or Footers
Adding the spreadsheet name into a custom header or footer.

Recognizing a Header Row when Sorting
Excel provides a couple of ways you can sort the information in a worksheet. Before sorting, it pays to know whether Excel will recognize your header row properly or not. This tip explains how you can figure out this critical information.

Selective Headers and Footers
Want to print different headers or footers on different parts of your worksheet? Excel has no inherent way to do this, but a short macro can make sure that the headers and footers are printed on only the pages you want.

Specifying Date Formats in Headers
Dates in headers and footers are formatted using the same pattern used in Windows for the system date. If you need to use a different format, you'll appreciate the information in this tip.

Turning Headers On and Off
Normally Excel displays row and column headers in a worksheet. If you prefer, you can turn these navigational aids off completely.

Using a Different Footer on Secondary Pages
When printing a worksheet, you may want to have the footer different on the first page of your document than it is on subsequent pages. Here's a couple of ways you can get the desired changes.

Using Color in Headers and Footers
Applying color to the text in your headers and footers is a bit of a dream in some versions of Excel. Here's an overview of where color can be used and how you can get around some version limitations.