Okay, let’s talk about something that drives me absolutely nuts. You spend ages crafting the perfect Excel spreadsheet. Everything looks crisp and clear on your screen with those nice gridlines separating your data. You hit print, full of hope... and out comes this ghostly, line-less mess that looks like someone tossed numbers onto a blank page randomly. Sound familiar? Why does Excel do this? And more importantly, how to get the lines to print on Excel reliably? That’s what we’re diving into today. No fluff, just the real fixes you need, based on the times I’ve wrestled my printer into submission.
Seriously, it shouldn't be this hard. But figuring out how to get the lines to print on Excel trips up so many people, from students printing homework to pros sending reports. Let's fix it for good.
Why Won't My Excel Gridlines Print? The Core Reason
Here's the kicker, and honestly, it feels like a weird Excel default: Gridlines are purely a screen view thing by default. They are visual guides, not inherent parts of the worksheet structure like borders. So, when you tell Excel to print, it says, "Oh, you just want the *content*? Got it!" and blissfully ignores the very lines that make your data readable. Frustrating, right?
It's not a printer problem 99% of the time. It's purely an Excel setting. The good news? How to get the lines to print on Excel usually boils down to checking just one or two places.
The Absolute Quick Fix: Print Gridlines Option
This is the big one. The main switch that controls whether those screen gridlines make it to the printed page.
- Head to the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
- Look in the Sheet Options group.
- Under Gridlines, tick the checkbox next to Print. That's it!
- Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
- In the Sheet Options group.
- Check the box under Gridlines: Print.
This is the most common solution for how to get the lines to print on Excel. Always check this first! You can usually see the gridlines appear instantly in Print Preview.
Pro Tip: Don't confuse this with the View checkbox right above it! That one only controls whether gridlines are visible *on your screen*. You need the Print checkbox ticked.
But What If That Doesn't Work? Let's Troubleshoot
Okay, you ticked the 'Print' box... and still no lines. Blank paper stares back. Don't panic. Been there. Here are the other culprits I've encountered:
1. Your Gridline Color is Set to White (Or Very Light)
Yep, Excel lets you change the gridline color. If someone (maybe even accidentally) set it to white, or a very light gray, it might look like gridlines are enabled on screen (because the background is usually white), but they effectively vanish when printed, especially on white paper.
- Go to File > Options (Windows) or Excel > Preferences (Mac).
- Navigate to Advanced.
- Scroll down to the Display options for this worksheet section.
- Look for Gridline color.
- Make sure it's set to Automatic (usually black/gray) or choose a clearly visible color like black. Click OK.
2. Cell Fill Color is Hiding the Lines
If cells have a solid fill color (especially white!), gridlines disappear within those filled cells. The gridlines are underneath the fill.
- Remove Fill: Select the cells, go to the Home tab, and click the Fill Color bucket, choosing No Fill.
- Use Borders Instead: If you *need* the background color, you'll have to apply manual borders to mimic the gridlines (more on this powerful alternative below). This is a solid workaround when how to get the lines to print on Excel via gridlines isn't cutting it for styled sheets.
3. Your Print Area is Wonky
If you have a specific print area set, and gridlines are turned off *outside* that area, but your data spills slightly beyond it, those outer cells might print without lines. Or, if the print area is set to exclude cells with gridlines visible.
- Select the entire range you want to print WITH gridlines.
- Go to the Page Layout tab.
- Click Print Area and choose Set Print Area.
- Ensure the 'Print Gridlines' setting is on (Step 1 above!).
4. The Dreaded "Draft Quality" Setting
This is an old-school setting aimed at saving ink, but it often kills gridlines and graphics. It's rarely needed on modern printers.
- Go to the Page Layout tab.
- Click the little arrow in the bottom right corner of the Page Setup group to open the full dialog box.
- Go to the Sheet tab.
- Look under Print. Uncheck the box for Draft quality if it's ticked. Click OK.
Phew. Finding that one always feels like an archaeological dig.
Using Borders: The Powerful Alternative to Gridlines
Sometimes, relying on gridlines for printing just isn't flexible enough. What if you only want lines around specific cells? Or thicker lines for totals? Or different colors? This is where manual borders shine. They *are* part of the cell formatting and will always print (assuming they aren't set to white or 'No Border').
Think of gridlines as the default background grid. Borders are like drawing specific lines exactly where you want them. It gives you way more control, especially for reports.
- Select the cells you want to border (a whole range, specific rows/columns, individual cells).
- Go to the Home tab.
- In the Font group, click the Borders dropdown (it looks like a grid).
- Choose a preset style (like All Borders for a full grid effect, or Outside Borders) or select More Borders... for full control.
- In the Format Cells dialog (Borders tab), choose line Style and Color, then click Presets or the specific Border buttons in the diagram (Outline, Inside, top, bottom, left, right). Click OK.
Gridlines vs. Borders: When to Use Which?
| Feature | Gridlines | Manual Borders |
|---|---|---|
| Ease for Full Sheet | Super Easy (One checkbox) | Tedious (Need to select entire sheet) |
| Print Reliability | Good (When settings correct) | Excellent (Part of cell format) |
| Customization | Limited (Color only) | Full Control (Style, Color, Thickness, Where) |
| Affected by Fill Color | Yes (Hidden under fill) | No (Prints over fill) |
| Best For | Quick printing of simple data sheets. | Reports, forms, highlighting specific areas, anything requiring polish. |
Honestly, for anything beyond a quick internal printout, I default to borders. That control is worth the extra few clicks, knowing it *will* print right. It solves the core problem of how to get the lines to print on Excel with certainty.
Print Preview is Your Best Friend (Seriously, USE IT!)
I can't stress this enough. Hitting print without checking Preview is like crossing the street blindfolded. It wastes paper, ink, and time. Always, always check Preview *after* you change any gridline or border setting!
- File > Print (This shows Preview alongside print settings).
- OR, Quick Access Toolbar: Add the Print Preview and Print command (Customize QAT > Commands Not in the Ribbon).
- Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl + P (Windows), Command + P (Mac).
What to look for in Preview?
- Are the lines visible? (The whole point!).
- Is everything fitting on the page? Look for the page break lines (dashed blue lines in Normal view) or check the scaling in Page Setup (Page Layout > Scale to Fit group).
- Are headings repeating? If you have long sheets, set Print Titles (Page Layout > Print Titles) to repeat rows/columns on every page.
Preview saves so much frustration. It shows exactly how your solution for how to get the lines to print on Excel will look.
Saving as PDF: Do the Lines Come With?
Yes! If you've successfully enabled gridlines to print or applied borders, they will absolutely appear in a PDF saved from Excel. Creating a PDF is a great way to share a formatted sheet reliably.
- Ensure gridlines are set to print OR borders are applied.
- Go to File > Save As.
- Choose the location.
- In the Save as type dropdown, select PDF (*.pdf).
- Click Options... (crucial step!).
- Ensure Print what is set to Active sheet(s) or your selection.
- Verify Include section: Document properties usually doesn't matter, but ensure nothing weird is checked that might override formatting. The key is the underlying print settings (gridlines/borders).
- Click OK, then Save.
Always open the saved PDF to double-check! Sometimes printer drivers interfere less with PDF creation.
Advanced Tips & Lesser-Known Tricks
Alright, you've mastered the basics. Let's dig into some specifics that have saved my bacon:
Printing Very Large Sheets Clearly
Massive spreadsheets? Gridlines can become a blurry mess, and borders might slow down printing. Try this:
- Use Page Break Preview (View > Page Break Preview) to manually adjust where pages split. Avoid splitting dense data areas.
- Simplify: Only border critical summary areas or headers. Use thicker borders for major sections.
- Adjust Scaling: Use Page Layout > Scale to Fit > Width (set to e.g., 1 page). Be careful, tiny text is unreadable! Scale (%) gives more precise control. Preview constantly.
Printing Only Specific Grid Areas
Don't want lines everywhere?
- Gridlines: You can't selectively print parts of the grid. It's all or nothing per sheet. Use borders instead for selective lines.
- Borders: Apply them only to the specific range you want outlined. Simple.
Dealing with Faded or Broken Lines
Lines printing faint or dotted?
- Printer Check: Run a printer nozzle/head cleaning utility (from your printer's software). Print a test page from Windows/Mac system settings.
- Border Style: Ensure you didn't accidentally apply a dotted or dashed border style. Select cells, go to Borders > More Borders, check the Style.
- Low Toner/Ink: Annoying, but check your supplies.
Common "How to Get the Lines to Print on Excel" Questions Answered (FAQs)
Let's tackle those specific searches people make:
Why do gridlines disappear in Excel when printing?
Mainly because the Print Gridlines setting is off by default. It's the #1 reason. Less common: white gridline color, cell fill colors hiding them, or draft quality printing enabled.
How do I print borders in Excel?
See the "Using Borders" section above! Apply borders to your cells using the Borders button on the Home tab. Borders *are* designed to print.
How do I make Excel show lines when printing?
"Show lines" usually means gridlines or borders. Enable Print Gridlines (Page Layout tab) or apply manual cell borders (Home tab). Always check Print Preview.
Print gridlines Excel shortcut?
There isn't a single built-in keyboard shortcut to toggle gridline printing directly. The fastest way is:
- Press Alt (Activates KeyTips).
- Press P (Page Layout tab).
- Press GP (Toggles Gridlines Print checkbox).
Excel print preview shows lines but printer doesn't print them?
This screams printer driver issue. Preview relies on Excel. The actual print job relies on your printer driver translating that correctly.
- Update Printer Driver: Go to the manufacturer's website, download the latest driver for your exact model.
- Try a Different Driver: If updating fails, try the generic "Microsoft Print to PDF" driver. If *that* prints lines correctly (save as PDF), it confirms your main driver is faulty.
- Check Driver Settings: Within the Excel print dialog, click Printer Properties. Look for settings like "Print in Grayscale" (might override colors faintly), "Draft Mode," or "Economy Mode" and disable them. Look for any "Advanced" settings related to graphics or line quality.
How to print gridlines in Excel with header?
Gridlines apply to the entire sheet, including header rows. Just ensure:
- Print Gridlines is enabled.
- Your headers are within the print area.
- If using borders, apply them to the header cells too. Use Print Titles (Page Layout > Print Titles) to repeat the header row(s) on every page.
My Final Thoughts (And a Bit of a Rant)
Getting the lines to print in Excel feels like it should be effortless. The fact that it's such a common headache, honestly, baffles me. Why Microsoft doesn't just make "Print Gridlines" the default for new sheets is beyond comprehension. It would save millions of people countless wasted pages and confusion. It's one of those little UX quirks that makes you sigh.
That said, once you know where the levers are – mainly that crucial Page Layout > Sheet Options > Print Gridlines checkbox and the power of borders – you're golden. Remember Preview. Seriously, it's the ultimate sanity check before anything hits the printer.
So, next time you're wrestling with how to get the lines to print on Excel, breathe. Check the print gridlines box first. If that fails, check the gridline color and cell fills. Still stuck? Embrace the precision of borders. You've got this. And hopefully, you won't have to waste another sheet of paper on ghost data again.
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