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: Printing Row Numbers.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 16, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Maria wonders if it is possible to print out a worksheet and show the row numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) on the printout. She wants just the row numbers, not the column letters.
The short answer is no, it is not possible. Excel allows you to print both row numbers and column letters, but not row numbers alone. You can, however, use a workaround to get row numbers. All you need to do is add a new column A (insert a blank column to the left of the existing column A) and then use this formula in each cell of the column:
=ROW()
The formula returns the row number of the formula's row. You can then format the column to appear any way desired, and then include the column in the printout. If you want to actually include a modified row number (perhaps you don't want to show the row number of the first two rows, which contain column headings), you can either delete the formulas in cells A1:A2 or you could adjust the row number starting in cell A3:
=ROW()-2
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12160) 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: Printing Row Numbers.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
Excel doesn't allow for as robust of headers and footers as Word does. Even so, there are some things you can do to ...
Discover MoreGetting a chart looking its best on a black-and-white printer can be a challenge. This tip examines different ways you ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to repeat rows at the top of every page of a printout. If you want to repeat rows at the bottom of every ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-04-16 12:19:33
Karl
If it is not too big a job, just use Shift+Win key+S and do a screen capture. Paste it into Word and then print!
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, 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:
Comments