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: Printing Rows Conditionally.

Printing Rows Conditionally

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 2, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Rune has three columns, A through C, that contain data. Column C contains either blank (nothing) or the letter X. Rune wonders if there is an easy way for him to print only those rows that have an X in column C.

There is a very easy way to do this. Assuming that you have a header row in row 1, follow these steps:

  1. Select any cell in the columns.
  2. Choose Data | Filter | AutoFilter. Excel displays small drop-down arrows beside the header row cells.
  3. Click the drop-down arrow for column C and select the X. Excel filters the data so that only those rows that have an X in column C are displayed.
  4. Press Ctrl+P. Excel displays the Print dialog box.
  5. Click OK.

That's it; the filtered worksheet is printed and only those rows with an X in column C are on the printout. You can, if desired, remove the AutoFilter after printing. When your data changes and you need to print again, just follow the same steps once more.

Another way to do the printing (if you don't want to use a filter for some reason) is to simply sort your data according to the contents of column C. If you sort in descending order, then all the rows containing an X in column C will be at the top of your worksheet. Select those cells and define them as your print area. When you then print, only those rows with an X in column C are printed.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8932) 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: Printing Rows Conditionally.

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

Using Strikethrough Formatting

Need a line through the middle of your text? Use strikethrough formatting, which is easy to apply using the Format Cells ...

Discover More

Getting Pictures Out of Word

If you receive a Word document from someone, you may want to get any graphics it contains into their own files. You can ...

Discover More

Inconsistent Availability of Drag and Drop Editing

Some people really like the ability to drag and drop text as they edit. What do you do if the ability is only available ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Speeding Up Printing

Changing a couple of the print settings in Excel can speed up the printing of your worksheets. This tip examines those ...

Discover More

Massive Printouts

Have you ever wanted to do a simple printout, only to find that Excel spit out dozens of pages, and most of them were ...

Discover More

Printout Doesn't Match Display for Some Cells

Have you ever noticed that when you print something, there are times that what is printed doesn't exactly match what you ...

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 seven more than 2?

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.