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: Out of Kilter Borders.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 29, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Karl expressed frustration with a printing problem. It seems that if he printed a worksheet without borders turned on, it printed fine. If, instead, he printed with borders turned on, then the cell contents and borders would overprint just a bit.
There are several things to check. First, you should always check to ensure that you are using the latest printer driver, and that the printer driver is designed specifically for the make and model of printer you are using.
Second, increase the magnification (zoom) on your worksheet so you can see small details. Then, turn the borders on and display the worksheet in Print Preview. Go back to regular mode, and make any column width adjustments necessary to accommodate the borders. (Borders do occupy space; you may need to adjust column width to allow for them properly.)
If desired, you can use Format | Column | AutoFit to adjust the column width to whatever Excel thinks is necessary for the columns. If the printout will no longer fit on the desired number of pages after adjusting column width, you may need to adjust margins and other print settings to get just the output you want.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2550) 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: Out of Kilter Borders.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
Got a bunch of worksheets and you want to save paper by printing multiple worksheets on a single piece of paper? There ...
Discover MoreIf 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 MoreHave you ever noticed that when you print something, there are times that what is printed doesn't exactly match what you ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments