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.

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


3

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.

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

Tying Workbooks Together

If you work with multiple workbooks at the same time, you might wonder how to tie them together so they open and close at ...

Discover More

Bypassing the Startup Macro

Word allows you to create a macro that is run automatically whenever the program is started. If you want to bypass the ...

Discover More

Formatting In Your Outline

Don't like the formatting that appears when looking at your document in Outline view? You can turn off the formatting and ...

Discover More

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!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Selecting a Paper Size

Excel can print your worksheet on just about any paper size you can imagine. How you select the paper size you want used ...

Discover More

Printing Just the Visible Data

In a large worksheet, you may want to display and print just a portion of the available data. Displaying the desired ...

Discover More

Can Only Print to Default Printer

It is helpful to be able to print out worksheets when you need to share them with others. It is even more helpful if 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 7 - 4?

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.


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.