To set print area in Google Sheets, first highlight the cells you want to print. Then go to File, click on Print, and under Print Settings, choose “Selected cells.” Adjust the page size, margins, and orientation as needed, then click on “Next” to finish printing or save as PDF. This works well for printing only the parts you need from your spreadsheet.
Many people use Google Sheets to keep records, track expenses, or do office work. But when it’s time to print, the whole page may come out, including empty cells or extra tables you don’t need.
This can waste your ink, paper, and time. Maybe you just want to print one table or a small section. That’s where setting the print area comes in.
In this post, I will show you how to do it in a very simple way. Both on computer and phone. You don’t need to be an expert. Just follow the steps, and you’ll get what you need printed the right way.
What Is a Print Area in Google Sheets?
A print area means the part of your spreadsheet you want to print. It could be the first few rows, one small table, or just one column.
Google Sheets, by default, prints the whole sheet. But if you only want to print a part, you need to select it yourself and tell the system what to print.
Let’s say you have data from A1 to F30, but you only want to print A1 to F10. You can mark just that part and set it as the print area.
That way, only that part will come out when you print, not the whole sheet.
Why Should You Set a Print Area?
If you don’t set a print area, Google Sheets will print everything, including blank cells or data you don’t need.
You may be preparing a report, an invoice, a school attendance list, or even just your shopping list. If it’s long and full of extra things, your printout may look rough or confusing.
Setting a print area helps you:
print only the important parts
keep your document neat
save printing cost
make it easier for the person reading the paper
This is why knowing how to set the print area is very useful, even if you are just doing simple work.
How to Set Print Area in Google Sheets (On Desktop Computer)
Let me now show you how to do it on your laptop or desktop computer. The steps are not hard at all.
Step 1: Open Your Google Sheet
First, open your spreadsheet. Go to the tab that contains the data you want to print.
Step 2: Select the Cells You Want to Print
Use your mouse to highlight the exact cells you want to print. For example, click on cell A1, then drag to cell F10. Now your print area is selected.
Step 3: Open the Print Menu
Go to the top menu and click on File. From the dropdown options, select Print.
Step 4: Choose “Selected Cells”
When the print settings open on the right side, you will see a small dropdown under the “Print” section. Click on it and choose “Selected cells.”
Once you do this, Google Sheets will only prepare the part you selected for printing.
Step 5: Adjust the Page
You can also choose how the paper should look. Do you want it to be portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal)? Do you want small or large margins? You can change all these options there.
Step 6: Preview and Print
When you’re done adjusting the settings, click “Next.” You will see a preview of how the paper will look. If it’s okay, go ahead and print.
If you don’t want to print now, you can also save it as a PDF to send or print later.
How to Print Only One Table or Section
Sometimes you have many tables in your sheet, but you only want to print one.
Just do this:
Highlight only the table you want
Click File > Print
Then choose “Selected cells”
Preview and click “Next” to print
That’s all. It will print only that one table. You don’t need to delete the other parts of the sheet.
You can even choose a small section inside a bigger table. Just select the part you want and follow the same steps.
How to Print in Google Sheets From a Phone
Printing from your phone is a bit different. The steps are not the same as computer, but you can still do it.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Google Sheets App
Make sure you have the app installed. Open the sheet you want to print.
Step 2: Tap the Three Dots at the Top
At the top right corner of your screen, tap the three-dot menu.
Step 3: Select “Share & Export”
From the options that come out, tap on “Share & export.”
Step 4: Tap “Print”
After tapping print, your phone will prepare the print preview.
Step 5: Adjust What You Want to Print
From this preview, you can change the number of pages, scale, orientation, and so on. You can even select to save as PDF.
Note: On mobile, you can’t directly highlight specific cells to print like on desktop. So try to hide or delete other parts you don’t want before printing.
Customizing Your Print Page
There are other settings you can adjust in the print menu to make your printout look better.
You can change the orientation. This means you can choose if you want the paper to be vertical (portrait) or horizontal (landscape). Some wide tables look better in landscape.
You can also adjust the margins. That’s the space around the edges of the page. You can pick normal, narrow, or even set your own custom size.
Scaling is also there. This helps you shrink or expand your table so it can fit into one page or two. For example, “Fit to width” means it will reduce the size so that all columns will enter one page side by side.
All these settings help you make the paper neat and easy to read.
Common Problems When Printing in Google Sheets and How to Fix Them
Sometimes, even after following the steps, things may not print the way you expect. Maybe the wrong part is printing, or the layout is not fine. Let’s talk about some of the problems you may face and how to fix them.
1. The Whole Sheet Is Printing Instead of One Section
This usually happens when you forget to choose “Selected cells” in the print menu.
To fix it, go back to File, then Print, and make sure you select “Selected cells” under the Print options.
2. Blank Pages Are Coming Out
Blank pages may appear if you have empty rows or columns around your data.
To fix this, go back to your sheet and delete or clear the empty cells at the bottom or sides. Also, hide any rows or columns that are not needed.
3. The Table Is Too Big and Cuts Off
If your table is too wide or too long, some parts may not fit on the paper.
To fix it, go to the Print settings and use the “Scale” option. Choose something like “Fit to width” or “Fit to one page.” This will reduce the size so everything fits.
Also, consider changing the orientation to landscape. That gives you more space sideways.
4. Gridlines Are Not Showing
Gridlines help separate the cells, so your printout looks more like a table.
To fix this, go to Print settings and check the box that says “Show gridlines.”
5. Headers or Titles Are Not Repeating on Every Page
If your table is long and goes across many pages, you may want the headers (like the column names) to show at the top of each page.
In Google Sheets, there’s no direct option for this like in Excel, but a simple trick is to manually copy the headers to the top of every page section before printing.
You can also use Freeze Row to lock the top row, but this only works on screen, not on paper.
How to Make Your Google Sheets Printouts Look Better
Here are some tips you can use to make your printed sheet neat and easier to understand.
Use Clear Fonts and Font Sizes
Small text is hard to read, especially when printed. Use at least size 11 or 12 font. Avoid using fancy fonts. Use something simple like Arial or Calibri.
Color Can Help, But Don’t Overdo It
If your printer prints in color, you can use light colors to highlight headers or important values. But avoid using too many bright or dark colors that can make the sheet messy.
Use Borders Instead of Relying Only on Gridlines
Even if gridlines are turned on, it’s still good to add proper borders around your table. This makes it easier to see where the table starts and ends.
Freeze the Top Row for Better View
Although this works mostly on-screen, it can help you when setting up your print. Freeze the header row, so you always know what each column is for.
Use Preview Before Printing
Always look at the print preview. This small step can help you avoid printing mistakes, wasting paper, or missing data.
Printing From Mobile vs Computer: What You Should Know
Let’s talk more about the difference between printing on phone and on computer.
On desktop or laptop, you have full control. You can highlight cells, change margins, and do scaling.
On phone, your options are fewer. You cannot select a print area like you do on computer. You only get basic settings like page size, number of pages, and PDF save.
If you want more control when printing from your phone, the best thing is to switch to a laptop or use the desktop site view on your browser. You can also use Google Drive on your computer to open the file and print it from there.
If you want to read Google’s official help page on printing from Sheets, check out this helpful support article from Google. It covers how to print, scale, and format your spreadsheet the right way.
FAQ About Printing in Google Sheets
These are real questions many people have asked. The answers are written in plain words to help you understand.
Can I save a print area in Google Sheets like in Excel?
No, Google Sheets doesn’t let you save a print area permanently. You have to highlight the part you want and set it again every time you want to print.
Why does my Google Sheets printout have extra pages?
You probably have empty cells or hidden content around your data. Try to clear those parts or use “Selected cells” when printing.
How do I print only one column in Google Sheets?
Just click on the column letter (like “A”) to highlight the whole column. Then go to File > Print, and choose “Selected cells.”
Why is my sheet printing without the gridlines?
Make sure the option “Show gridlines” is selected in the Print setup window. If it’s unchecked, the lines won’t show.
Can I print a chart from Google Sheets without the rest of the table?
Yes. Click on the chart to select it, then go to File > Download > PDF or PNG. You can also copy it to Google Docs and print from there.
Final Tips Before You Print
Setting print area in Google Sheets may look small, but it can save you plenty stress.
You don’t have to print the full page all the time. Once you know how to pick just what you need, your paper will be neat, sharp, and easy to understand.
If possible, always use a laptop when preparing to print. It gives you more control and makes your work easier. Only print from phone when you are in a hurry or have no other option.
For those who want to go beyond just printing and learn how to use Google Sheets for tracking, automation, and formulas, this easy tutorial by Zapier is a good place to start. It breaks things down in a way that’s simple and useful.