Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 8, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Excel is a handy tool for keeping track of all sorts of data. Many people use it at work to create ad-hoc reports for different departments or projects. As you work with your data, you may wonder how you can automatically insert page breaks when the contents of a certain column change. For instance, you might have a column that contains department names, and you may want each department to start on a new page.
This is rather easy to do with the built-in Subtotals feature of Excel. All you need to do is follow these steps:
If, for some reason, you don't want to use the Subtotals feature, you can always write a macro that will remove all the page breaks in your worksheet, then add new page breaks at the appropriate places. The following macro will do the trick:
Sub PageBreak() Dim CellRange As Range Dim TestCell As Range ActiveSheet.ResetAllPageBreaks Set CellRange = Selection For Each TestCell In CellRange If TestCell.Value <> TestCell.Offset(-1, 0).Value Then ActiveSheet.Rows(TestCell.Row).PageBreak = xlPageBreakManual End If Next TestCell End Sub
To use the macro, simply select the cells you want to use as your key for doing the splits, minus the top cell. For instance, if the departments are in column A, rows 2 through 37, you would select the range in A3 through A37. Run the macro, and any old page breaks are removed and new ones added.
You should realize that Excel does have a limit when it comes to the number of manual page breaks that can be used in a worksheet. According to the Knowledge Base, that limit is around 1024 breaks. (The limit can vary slightly based on the version of Excel you are using, but is right around that point.) Here's the obscure write-up about the limit:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/284916
The upshot of this limit is that if you have quite a few page breaks to insert, the macro will crash when the page-break limit is exceded on the worksheet. The error will say something along the lines of "Unable to set the PageBreak property."
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2792) 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: Conditional Page Breaks.
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!
When you create custom cell formats, you can include codes that allow you to set the color of a cell and that specify the ...
Discover MoreThe ability to center text across a range of cells has long been a staple of experienced Excel users. Here's how to ...
Discover MoreThere are times when displaying zero values in a worksheet (especially if there are lots of them) can be distracting from ...
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.
Comments