Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Out of Kilter Borders.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 30, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
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 AutoFit to adjust the column width to whatever Excel thinks is necessary for the columns. (Display the Home tab of the ribbon and then click the Format tool in the Cells group. In the resulting choices, choose AutoFit Column Width.) 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 (10087) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Out of Kilter Borders.
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!
Need to only print out certain rows from your data? It's easy to do if you apply the filtering or sorting techniques ...
Discover MoreNeed to access the advanced capabilities of a printer from within an Excel macro? You may be out of luck, unless you ...
Discover MoreHyperlinks can be real handy in a workbook, but you may not always want them visible when you send the workbook to the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2024-01-30 15:04:25
Kiwerry
@ John: Could it be that Rene is referring to Custom Formatting?
2020-05-09 18:39:49
John Mann
I;m wondering which version of Excel Rene is using. In my Ecel 2010, I cannot find the <format ><custom> option (maybe a case of "can't see for looking"). If I use the alignmebt options dialogue box from the Algnment group on the home tab, then I find that I can set either a left indent, or a right indent, but not both.
2020-04-25 06:39:12
Rene
You can also adjust the formatting of the cell contents. In the <format ><custom> option., add a space at the beginning of the format and ensure that there is also a space at the end. This way the borders will never overwrite the contents, providing the column width is wide enough or you wrap text.
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.
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: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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:
Comments