How Do I Print the Lines in Excel?

Posted by Chloe Harter , 14 May, 2025
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When you’re working on an Excel spreadsheet, everything looks neat and tidy on your screen, thanks to the subtle gray lines that separate each cell. But when you hit print, things look very different: your carefully crafted table may look like a blank page with just floating numbers and no lines that defined the structure. So how do you print those lines in Excel? In this blog, we’ll explore how to print gridlines, add borders, troubleshoot common problems, and optimize your layout for a clean, professional print.

Understanding Excel Lines: Gridlines vs Borders

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s quickly define what “lines” mean in Excel. This distinction is important because Excel treats gridlines and borders differently, and they print differently.

Gridlines: These are the light gray lines that appear between cells by default. They help organize data visually on the screen, but they don’t automatically appear in printouts.

Borders: These are formatting lines that are manually applied to specific cells. Borders are bold, customizable, and designed for printing.

How to Print Gridlines in Excel?

Printing gridlines is the best option if you want your printout to match the grid you see on your screen. Excel doesn’t print gridlines by default, but it’s easy to enable.

Open your Excel file.
Navigate to the “Page Layout” tab in the ribbon at the top.
In the “Sheet Options” group, look for the “Gridlines” section.
Check the box next to “Print” under Gridlines.
When you go to “File,” click “Print,” you’ll see the gridlines in the print preview.

Note: Excel prints gridlines only for cells that have content. Empty cells do not display gridlines even if they are surrounded by content.

Also, if you want gridlines to appear between blank rows or columns, try entering a space in those cells. This will trick Excel into thinking the cells are not blank and will print the gridlines.

Check out the video to learn more.

How to Print Borders in Excel?

Gridlines are useful, but limited. You can’t change their color, thickness, or style. If you need more customization, borders are for you. Borders allow you to manually define how cell outlines appear—and unlike gridlines, borders always appear, even for empty cells.

Select the cells where you want to add borders.
Go to the “Home” tab.
In the “Font” group, click the “Borders” icon (it looks like a square with a cross).
Choose a border style (e.g., “All Borders,” “Outside Borders,” or “Thick Box Border”).
If you want more customization, click “More Borders” to choose line styles, thickness, and colors.

Now when you print, these borders will appear exactly as you designed them — sharp, bold, and easy to read.

When to Use Borders Instead of Gridlines:

When presenting data formally (e.g., reports, client-facing documents).
When highlighting specific sections.
When you want uniform lines regardless of whether cells have content.

Borders give you control that gridlines don’t. But before you print, it’s always wise to preview how your print will turn out.

Previewing and Adjusting Your Print Layout

Now that you have your lines set up, the next step is to make sure your spreadsheet prints the way you expect it to. Excel provides powerful tools for previewing and adjusting your layout.

How to Preview Before Printing:

Click “File” in the top-left corner, select “Print.” On the right-hand side, you’ll see the Print Preview pane.

If there are some issues (for example, the number of lines does not cover the entire page, or the text is squeezed), you can adjust the layout with some simple adjustments.

Tips to Improve Layout:

Adjust Margins: Under Print > Page Setup > Margins, choose “Normal,” “Narrow,” or “Custom.
Fit to Page: In “Page Setup,” under “Scaling,” choose “Fit Sheet on One Page” to avoid cutting off lines.
Use Page Break Preview: Go to the “View” tab and click “Page Break Preview” to control what prints on each page.

With these tools, you can ensure your printouts look clean, professional, and polished.

Troubleshooting: Why Aren’t My Lines Printing?

However, even if you follow all the steps, sometimes the lines still won’t show up. Let’s explore why this might be the case.

1. Gridlines Not Enabled for Printing

Double-check the “Print” checkbox under “Gridlines” in the “Page Layout” tab. It’s easy to forget.

2. Cells Are Empty

Remember, Excel doesn’t print gridlines for empty cells. Use a space or dummy value to fix this.

3. Background Color Is Hiding the Lines

If the cells have a fill color (even white), Excel will not print the gridlines. You can remove the fill color, or use a border.

4. Printer Settings or Drivers

If everything seems correct but the preview looks off, it could be a printer issue. Try printing to PDF first. If the lines show in the PDF but not on paper, update your printer driver.

Tips: Enhance Your Printed Sheet for Better Readability

Beyond printing lines, there are other formatting tricks that can make your spreadsheet more effective on paper. These enhancements aren’t necessary, but they can make a big difference, especially when you share your worksheets with other people.

Add Print Titles

To repeat headers at the top of each printed page: Go to “Page Layout,” choose “Print Titles”. Under “Rows to repeat at top,” select the header row. Then click “OK.”

Use Headings and Titles

Add descriptive headers above your data tables to make them self-explanatory.

Center the Sheet on the Page

In Page Setup > Margins, you can center the sheet horizontally and vertically for a polished look.

Conclusion

Printing gridlines in Excel is a simple and effective way to improve the readability and professionalism of your spreadsheets. Whether you choose to print gridlines for quick internal reference or add borders to enhance a report, it is important to understand how Excel handles these gridlines.

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