Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007 and 2010. 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: Ampersands in Headers and Footers.
One of the finishing touches often applied to a worksheet is to create headers and footers that print on every page. You may have noticed that some characters won't print in a header or footer. For instance, if you work at a company named Drury & James, and you put the company name in the header or footer, it will print as Drury James, omitting the ampersand.
The reason for this is because the ampersand signals, to Excel, that the next character is "special" and represents a code controlling some aspect of what is printed. To override the effect that the ampersand has, simply use two ampersands, as in Drury && James. When you do, the first ampersand is "swallowed" by Excel and the second one actually prints.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12331) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Ampersands in Headers and Footers.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2019 For Dummies today!
Ever wish that you could create nice, long footers that appear at the bottom of each page when you print your worksheet? ...
Discover MoreWhen adding headers or footers to your worksheets, you may want to include the date that the workbook was last edited. ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to create headers and footers. In this tip you discover that the headers and footers in Excel may not be ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2024-09-16 12:47:20
Kiwerry
@Micky Avidan: Thanks for a useful list!
2018-09-19 11:33:21
PreeTee
Thank you for the simple solution!
2014-01-02 12:35:31
Michael (Micky) Avidan
Here is a list of all the common used codes in the Headers/Footers:
&D Current date
&T Current time
&F Workbook name
&A Worksheet's name (Worksheet's tab)
&P Current page number
&P+x Current page number plus x
&N Total pages in the Workbook(!)
&& Ampersand character
Page &[Page] out of &[Pages]
--------------------------------
Michael (Micky) Avidan
“Microsoft® Answers" - Wiki author & Forums Moderator
“Microsoft®” MVP – Excel (2009-2014)
ISRAEL
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 © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007 and 2010. 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