Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Massive Printouts.

Massive Printouts

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 7, 2019)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Ever had this happen to you? You run a print job and are surprised to get 22 pages of output. That would have been fine, except you were expecting one or two at the most. Problem is, most of the pages that came out of the printer are empty!

The problem is most likely that you mistakenly selected a cell at a distant column and row and bumped into your Space Bar. That leaves no visible signs, but Excel thinks you want to print this space.

The solution is as simple as this:

  1. Press Ctrl+End. Excel moves to the cell it thinks is at the lower-right corner of your data.
  2. If there is nothing else in that column, delete the column.
  3. If there is something in the column, but nothing else in that row, delete the row.
  4. Use Print Preview to check how many pages Excel will print. Hopefully you are back to your expected number of pages.
  5. Print your worksheet as normal.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2218) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Massive Printouts.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Peculiar Font Differences

Have you noticed page layout differences when you open a document on different systems? There are a number of reasons why ...

Discover More

Understanding Paragraph Alignment

One of the most basic ways to align paragraphs is to set the alignment used for the text in the paragraph. Word provides ...

Discover More

Can't Access the Registry

Many Windows applications rely on information stored in the Registry. If that information cannot be accessed, the ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Specifying a Paper Tray in a Macro

If you are using a macro to create your printed Excel output, you may need a way to specify that paper should come from a ...

Discover More

Using Less Paper on Printouts

If a worksheet contains nothing but a bunch of values in column A, you may be loathe to print the worksheet and "waste" a ...

Discover More

Hiding a Hyperlink on a Printout

Hyperlinks can be real handy in a workbook, but you may not always want them visible when you send the workbook to the ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is nine minus 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.