Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Setting Default Print Margins.

Setting Default Print Margins

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 4, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365


When you first start Excel, the blank workbook that is opened has specific default values set. One of those defaults is the page margins, used when you print the worksheet. If you want to change the default page margins, you can do so by following these steps:

  1. Open a new Excel workbook.
  2. Change the page margins for all the worksheets in the workbook. Make sure they reflect the page margins you want used as your default.
  3. Make any other desired "default" changes in the workbook. This may include (but not be limited to) headers, footers, and the like.
  4. Choose Save As from the File menu. Excel displays the Save As dialog box.
  5. In the Save As Type pull-down list at the bottom of the dialog box, select Excel Template or Excel Macro-Enabled Template. (The option you select depends on whether you have macros in the workbook or not.)
  6. The file name you use should be Book.xltx or Book.xltm (depending, again, on whether it contains macros).
  7. Save your newly created template in the XLStart folder. (Do not save it in the default template folder.)

That's it. Now, any time you create a new workbook, Excel uses your template (Book.xltx or Book.xltm) as its model for what you want.

If you are unsure of where the XLStart folder is located (step 7), use Windows to search for the folder. Its exact location can vary depending on how Excel was installed on your machine, as well as the version you are using. You should note that if you are using Excel in a networked environment, you may not have the proper permissions to modify or save anything in the XLStart folder on the server. In that case, you should talk to your network administrator to see if you can save your workbook in the proper place.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7011) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Setting Default Print Margins.

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

Read-Only Documents

Using both Word and Windows, there are a variety of ways you can mark a file as read-only so that it cannot be changed. ...

Discover More

Underlining Text in Cells

Want a quick way to add some underlines to your cell values? It's easy using the shortcuts provided in this tip.

Discover More

Collating Copies

If you are printing more than one copy of a multi-page document, it would be great if Word could print them in complete ...

Discover More

Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Printing in Black and White and Color

Excel can print your worksheets in either black and white or color. If you want to print everything in black and white ...

Discover More

Printing a Range of Pages

If your worksheet, when printed, requires more than a single page to print, you may want to only print a range of the ...

Discover More

Printing Limited Pages from a Range of Worksheets

Need to print just a few pages from a group of worksheets? The easiest way to handle the task may be through a macro, as ...

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 8 + 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 ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu 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.