How to Set Print Area in Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a powerful spreadsheet application that offers many tools to facilitate data analysis. One of the most important characteristics for printing your job is the printable area, which defines how much of your sheet to print.

It is essential to have a good printing area.

By default, Google Sheets prints the entire sheet when you press the print button. But you don't want to do that because you might end up omitting some cells or columns. You might even end up printing blank pages with just the headers and footers.

Defining the print area is a skill you must learn if you want your printer to produce quality, well-organized pages that make it easier to present or analyze data.

In this article, we'll show you how to set the print area and print only what you want without wasting paper or ink.

How to Set Print Area in Google Sheets on PC

PCs have many advantages over other devices when it comes to using Google Sheets.

For starters, a PC comes with a large screen to help you easily enter your data and perform various Google Sheets commands. For example, you can add formulas and charts that create sophisticated spreadsheets for business or personal use.

More importantly, working on Google Sheets using a PC offers more printing options when setting your print area. You can choose to print the whole workbook, the current sheet, or just a few cells in the current sheet.

Let's see how to set the print area to set the current sheet or workbook.

Setting the current sheet or workbook as the print area

If you want to print everything on a given worksheet, do the following:

1. Open the spreadsheet.
   
2. Click on the "print" button located in the upper left corner of the menu bar. This should open the print settings window. By default, the window comes with a preview of your sheet.
   
3. In the upper right corner of the print settings window, you should see a grayed out print button with a down arrow next to it. Click the down arrow and select "Current sheet".
   
4. Click "Next".
   
5. At this point, a new window will appear on your screen giving you the option to customize the print area and specify the number of copies you want to print. You can also change the print color.
   
6. Once you have customized your print area to your satisfaction, click "Print".
   

Set selected cells as print area

Sometimes you may want to print only a specific part of your spreadsheet. This can happen when you want to present only part of your work or even share certain sections with your colleagues for discussion before printing the whole spreadsheet.

Either way, here's how to print selected cells in Google Sheets.

1. Open the spreadsheet you want to print.
   
2. Select the cells of interest. While you're at it, you need to select a continuous range of cells.
   
3. Press the printer icon button located in the upper left corner of the menu bar. Otherwise, click "File" and select "Print" from the drop-down menu. This will open the print settings window.
   
4. Click the down arrow that appears just below the grayed out "Print" button in the upper right corner.
   
5. Click on “Selected Cells”.
   
6. Press "Next" to open the final pre-print window where you can customize your print area before sending the file to your printer.
   

How to Set Print Area in Google Sheets on Android App

The Android Google Sheets app lets you save your spreadsheets to your phone for quick access.

A big advantage is that you can edit or view your document even when you are not connected to the Internet. This way you can keep working when you're on the go.

On the other hand, the Google Sheets Android app does not allow you to define a custom print area. You can only print the entire spreadsheet. However, it allows you to adjust print settings such as paper size, paper orientation, specific pages to print, color

Here's how to print a spreadsheet when using the Android app:

1. Open the Google Sheets app on your device.
   
2. Open the spreadsheet you want to print and tap "More" in the top right corner of your screen.
   
3. Tap "Share & Export". then press “Print”.
   
4. Tap "Paper Size". This will allow you to adjust your print settings and specify things like paper orientation and color.
   
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the printer to use.
   
6. Press "Print" to begin printing your spreadsheet.

How to Set Print Area in Google Sheets on iPhone App

The Google Sheets app for iPhone is designed with convenience in mind. You can access your work anytime, anywhere. You can also update your spreadsheets with new information or even start a new project.

But as with the Android Google Sheets app, you cannot print selected cells in a sheet. You can only print the entire sheet.

Here are the steps:

1. Open the Google Sheets app on your iPhone.
   
2. Open the file you want to print and press "More".
   
3. Select "Share & Export" from the pop-up window, then press "Print."
   
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to choose the printer you want to use.
   
5. Adjust your printer settings if you wish and specify other details such as the number of copies you want.
6. Press "Print" to send the file to your printer for printing.
   

How to Set Print Area in Google Sheets on iPad App

The Google Sheets app for iPad works much like its iPhone counterpart.

Here's how to print a spreadsheet:

1. Open your iPad and launch the Google Sheets app.
   
2. Navigate to the file you want to print and press "More".
   
3. Tap "Share & Export," then "Print."
   
4. Follow the onscreen guide to specify the printer you want to use.
   
5. Adjust your printer settings to change things like orientation and color.
6. Press "Print" to start printing.
   

Print freely

Defining the print area is the first step to a successful presentation. It's a great way to make sure you only print what you want. This can help you reduce printing costs and extend the useful life of your printer and other printing accessories.

Either way, a PC is the best device to customize your print area. Although Android and iOS mobile apps have the print button, you cannot dictate which cells to print and which to omit.

Have you tried printing selected cells in Google Sheets? How was it?

Let us know in the comments section below.