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: Changing Paper Size for a Complete Workbook.

Changing Paper Size for a Complete Workbook

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 7, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365

Bob has a workbook that has about fifteen worksheets in it, and he needs to change the page format for all the worksheet from Letter to A4. There is a quick way to make the change by following these steps:

  1. Right-click any worksheet tab. You'll see a Context menu appear.
  2. Choose Select All Sheets. All the worksheet tabs should now be selected.
  3. Display the Page Layout tab of the ribbon.
  4. Click the Size tool in the Page Setup group. Excel displays some common paper sizes.
  5. From the paper sizes offered, click the A4 option.
  6. Right-click any worksheet tab. You'll again see a Context menu.
  7. Choose Ungroup Sheets.

That's it; the paper size is now set for all the worksheets. There is a drawback to this approach, however: If individual worksheets have differing page setup settings (different orientations, margins, headers, footers, etc.), then following these steps will set them all the same. If you only want to change the paper size and don't want to change any other settings, your only recourse is to use a macro to do the change.

Sub AllSheetsA4()
    Dim sht As Variant

    For Each sht In ActiveWorkbook.Sheets
        sht.PageSetup.PaperSize = xlPaperA4
    Next
End Sub

The macro steps through each sheet in the workbook, changing only the PaperSize property so that the sheet will print on A4 paper.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12219) 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: Changing Paper Size for a Complete Workbook.

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

Cleaning Text

You can use the CLEAN worksheet function to remove any non-printable characters from a cell. This can come in handy when ...

Discover More

Compound Page Numbering

Simple page numbering is easy to add to your documents. More complex numbering (such as two numbering schemes in the same ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of a Text Box, but Not the Text

Text boxes are designed to hold text. (Makes sense, right?) If you want to get rid of a text box, yet still keep the ...

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)

Fitting Your Printout on a Page

Tired of wasting paper when you print a worksheet? You can scale Excel's output so that it fits only the number of pages ...

Discover More

Limiting Printing to a Workbook from a Set Location

When you share workbooks on a company server, it can be frustrating if the workbooks are downloaded to individual ...

Discover More

Hiding a Hyperlink on a Printout

Hyperlinks can be real handy in a workbook, but you may not always want them visible when you send the workbook to the ...

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.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

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 seven more than 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.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.