Setting Header/Footer Margins

Summary: The default margins for your headers and footers is .75 inches, left and right. Unfortunately there is no way to change this margin; it is hard-coded into the program. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.)

When you create an Excel worksheet, you have the ability to change the margins used when the information in the worksheet is printed. This is done by choosing Page Setup from the File menu, then making adjustments on the Margins tab. (Click here to see a related figure.) The default left and right margin values are .75 inches, unless you change them as described in other issues of ExcelTips.

When you change the left and right margin values, and even if you change the default left and right margin values, there is no way to modify the left and right margins used by Excel to print headers and footers. These are apparently hard-wired to print at .75 inches, regardless of the settings you make within the Page Setup dialog box. They cannot even be changed via VBA.

Further information on this issue can be found in Microsoft's Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=214001

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2191) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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