Picking a Workbook Format

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 21, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365


1

Kristine e-mails an Excel workbook to multiple users with different computers, some Mac and some Windows, and different e-mail systems (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc.). Whenever she sends out the workbook, there is always someone that cannot print it like she sent it, so she is wondering which format is the best to use for the workbook in order to ensure the widest number of people being able to access it.

In order to figure out what the best format is, you'll need to find out which versions of Excel are being used by your recipients. Once you have that information, you should use a "least common denominator" approach—choose the version of Excel that is the oldest. If the oldest version is Excel 2007, you can get away with using XLSX files, but if someone is using Excel 2003 or older, you'll need to use XLS format.

Of course, you'll want to balance this approach against the nature of the data and formulas in your workbook. It will do you no good to use an XLS format if you use formulas that rely on worksheet functions introduced in later versions of Excel. If this is the case for your workbooks, the only solution is to have your users upgrade to newer versions of Excel or redo your workbook's formulas to not use the newer functions.

If the users don't really need to use the workbook (they don't need to enter or change data) and all they need to do is print out the workbook, then that is a different kettle of fish. In such a case it isn't just the version of Excel you need to worry about, but what version of Windows, what printer drivers, and what printers they are using. Excel can modify how it prints based upon any of these factors, which means that a worksheet may print differently on one system than on another based upon these components.

That being said, if the users only need to print, you should consider not sending out the Excel workbook at all. Instead, create a PDF file of the workbook on your system and then send the PDF file out. You have a greater chance of the printouts matching from differing systems when printing a PDF versus printing the original workbook.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10159) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365.

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

Creating Workbooks for Individual Worksheets

If you have a workbook with lots of worksheets, you may want those worksheets to be saved off in individual workbooks. ...

Discover More

Selecting a Column or Row in a Table

Selecting rows and columns in tables is a common task. Because of this, Word provides a couple of ways you can accomplish ...

Discover More

An Easy Way to Count Items

Need to quickly count a group of items in a document? Here's a drop-dead easy way to get that count.

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Embedding Your Phone Number in a Workbook

Want to provide a bit of contact information in a workbook? A great place to do it (out of sight, but not inaccessible) ...

Discover More

Problems Pasting Information into a Worksheet

What do you do if pasting information into a worksheet brings Excel to its knees? This tip looks at just a few ideas you ...

Discover More

Pasting Multiple Worksheets into a Word Document

Two very common programs that are used together are Excel and Word. If you want to copy multiple worksheets from an Excel ...

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 three less than 3?

2021-08-22 14:42:44

Duncan

I agree about the lowest common denominator route being one to choose - but I know from experience it is a nightmare as you drag on using old versions and not being able to use useful new features for years. That actually hinders everyone's continuous learning. Believe it or not, I encountered this in one of the Big 4 accounting firms, where different countries globally had different capabilities but were all supposed to submit common finance reports.


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.