How to Show Grid Lines When Printing in Excel

When working with spreadsheets in Excel, grid lines help you visually distinguish cells, making your data easier to read and analyze. However, grid lines are only visible on the screen by default and do not automatically print. If you want your printed documents to include grid lines for clarity and professionalism, you need to enable this feature explicitly. This guide walks you through the steps to show grid lines when printing in Excel, ensuring your printed spreadsheets look organized and easy to interpret.

What You’ll Need

An active Excel spreadsheet that you want to print with grid lines.
Microsoft Excel installed on your computer.
A printer connected and configured properly.

Step-by-Step

Open your Excel workbook and navigate to the worksheet you wish to print.
Ensure that the grid lines are visible on your screen. If they are not, go to the View tab on the ribbon and check the Gridlines checkbox in the Show group.
Click on the Page Layout tab in the ribbon at the top of Excel. This tab contains options related to how your worksheet will appear when printed.
In the Sheet Options group, locate the Gridlines section. You will see two checkboxes: View and Print.
Check the box labeled Print. This action tells Excel to include grid lines in your printed output.
Optionally, you can also customize the appearance of grid lines by going to the Page Setup dialog. To do this, click the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the Page Setup group.
In the Page Setup window, switch to the Sheet tab. Under the Print section, ensure that the Gridlines checkbox is checked.
Click OK to apply the settings.
Preview your worksheet by going to File > Print or pressing Ctrl + P. The print preview should now show grid lines around cells.
Adjust any other print settings as needed, such as orientation, margins, or scaling, then proceed to print your worksheet.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to check the Print box in the Sheet Options group—this is the most common mistake.
Not setting the print area correctly, which can cause grid lines to appear only on part of the sheet or not at all.
Applying grid line settings after printing or in the wrong worksheet, leading to confusion about what will print.
Using print styles that override grid line settings, such as custom themes or cell fill colors that obscure grid lines.

Tips

Use the Print Preview feature before printing to verify that grid lines appear as expected.
If you want to emphasize grid lines further, consider changing their color or style in the Page Layout tab under Colors.
Combine grid lines with cell borders for a more defined and professional look in printed documents.
Remember that grid lines do not print if the worksheet is set to print with background or cell fill colors that obscure the lines.
For large or complex spreadsheets, adjust the print scaling to fit data on one page and ensure grid lines are visible.

Troubleshooting

If your grid lines do not appear when printing, try these solutions:

Ensure you have checked the Print box in the Sheet Options group on the Page Layout tab.
Verify that you are printing the correct worksheet and that the print area is set correctly. To set a print area, select the cells you want to print, then go to Page Layout > Print Area > Set Print Area.
Check your print preview to see if grid lines are visible. If not, try restarting Excel or your computer to resolve any temporary glitches.
Make sure your printer driver is up to date and that no print settings override grid line printing, such as

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How to Show Grid Lines When Printing in Excel