Do you want to print your Google Sheets with gridlines? It’s easy to do! Gridlines can help you visually organize and read your spreadsheet, making it even more effective. In this article, we will show you how to print gridlines in Google Sheets, step by step. So, let’s get started!
Step 1: Make Sure Gridlines are Enabled
Before you print gridlines in Google Sheets, you need to ensure that they are enabled. To do this, follow these simple steps:
- Go to the toolbar at the top of the page and click on View.
- From the drop-down menu, click on Gridlines to make sure it’s checked.
Once you check this option, the gridlines will appear in your spreadsheet.
Step 2: Select File > Print to Open the Print Options Screen
To open the print options screen, click on File in the top toolbar, then select Print from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd ⌘ + P (Mac).
If you are printing a single sheet or a specific selection of cells, make sure you have accessed the target sheet and/or highlighted the target selection before opening the print options screen. If you want to print the currently selected sheet or the entire workbook, there’s no need to highlight any data.
Step 3: Choose What to Print
The print options screen will now appear, with the print menu on the right side and a print preview on the left.
Under the Print label in the print menu, you will find a dropdown list with the following options:
- Current sheet: Print only the sheet that was selected when accessing the print options.
- Workbook: If you have multiple sheets, an option to print the entire workbook will appear. There’s also a dropdown menu titled Sheets, where you can select specific sheets to include in the workbook printout.
- By default, it will be set to print all sheets in the workbook.
- Selected cells: Print the cells that were previously selected (if any).
In our example, we only have one sheet, so we only see the options to include the current sheet or the selected cells. We will choose the current sheet.
Step 4: Choose Paper Size and Orientation
Select a paper size that matches the size of the paper you are using for printing. The most common size is A4 (21.0 cm x 29.7 cm) and is selected by default.
You can change the paper size by using the dropdown menu, which offers several sizes, including the option to set a custom paper size.
In our example, we will leave the paper size at the default A4.
Next, use the selection buttons to change the page orientation. The options are Portrait and Landscape. Select the layout that best suits your data and needs.
Step 5: Set Scale and Margins
In the scale dropdown menu, you can adjust the scale of your content relative to the page. The options are:
- Normal (100%): Print the content as it is, without any modifications.
- Fit to width: Adjust the content to fit the width of the page.
- Fit to height: Adjust the content to fit the height of the page.
- Fit to page: Adjust the content to size to fit the entire page.
- Custom: This option allows you to specify the percentage of scaling.
By default, the scale will be set to Normal (100%), and that’s the option we will choose in our example.
Choose your margin preferences from the margin dropdown menu. Google Sheets offers options for normal, narrow, wide margins, or custom numbers.
Step 6: Apply Custom Page Breaks if Needed
Google Sheets also allows you to add custom page breaks to your printouts, which can help distribute your content across multiple pages. To use this feature, click on SET CUSTOM PAGE BREAKS.
This will display a window where you can drag the break lines to the desired positions and click CONFIRM BREAKS to finish this task.
Step 7: Choose to Show or Hide Gridlines
Expand the formatting tab in the options menu on the right side by clicking the down arrow ˅ to the right of the label.
Now you will see the option Display gridlines. If the checkbox is unchecked, the gridlines will not appear in the print preview on the left and therefore will not be included in the printed content.
If the checkbox is checked, you will see the gridlines in the print preview on the left, and they will be displayed in the printed output.
In our example, we will choose to display the gridlines, so we will make sure the checkbox is checked.
Step 8: Select Page Order and Alignment
In the formatting area of the print options menu, you can select the page order using the dropdown menu.
Where the content appears on the printed page can be set using the alignment options. This allows you to adjust the content vertically and horizontally.
We will set the alignment to top-left in our demonstration, as shown in the example below.
Step 9: Choose Headers and Footers to Show
By expanding the headers and footers section in the print options menu, you can choose from different checkboxes to show elements such as page numbers, workbook title, sheet name, current date, and current time.
In our example, we have checked several elements, as shown in the example below.
You can enter your custom header or footer by clicking on the label EDIT CUSTOM FIELDS. This will display a screen to enter custom text. Simply click on the area and enter your text. Click the confirmation button when you’re done.
Step 10: Click Next, Then Print
In the top-right corner of the print options menu, click the NEXT button, and the print dialogue window of your operating system will appear. Make sure the correct printer is selected and click Print. Your sheet will be printed.
If you chose to display the gridlines, they will be shown in the printed output.
That’s it! You now have all the information you need to print gridlines in Google Sheets. Enjoy your well-organized and easy-to-read spreadsheets! If you want to learn more about using Google Sheets and other useful features, visit Crawlan.com.
So, go ahead and give it a try! You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to work with gridlines in Google Sheets with this simple printing method. Happy organizing!
