How to Use Page Break Preview in Excel

Stop guessing where a table will get awkwardly cut off β€” see it and fix it before you print.

  1. Open the "View" tab

    Click the "View" tab on the ribbon.

  2. Click "Page Break Preview"

    In the "Workbook Views" group, click "Page Break Preview."

  3. Drag the blue dividing lines

    Drag the blue lines marking where pages split to adjust the range that falls on each page.

  4. Return to Normal view

    When you are finished, click "Normal" on the "View" tab to go back to the regular screen.

  5. Why this matters

    Previewing exactly where pages will split lets you adjust it yourself, avoiding awkwardly cut-off tables and producing a cleaner printout.

When a table gets awkwardly split across pages

If you have ever printed a worksheet only to find an important part of a table pushed onto an ugly, half-cut second page, Page Break Preview lets you drag the dividing lines yourself so pages break exactly where you want them.

Solid lines vs. dashed lines

The solid blue lines mark page breaks you set manually, while the dashed lines are breaks Excel calculated automatically based on your paper size and margins. Dragging a dashed line converts it into a manual break, and it stays fixed even if you later add or remove rows above it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does moving a dividing line automatically change the print scale?

Yes β€” the scale of content fitted onto each page adjusts automatically based on where the dividing lines end up.

What is the difference between solid and dashed dividing lines?

Solid lines are page breaks you set manually, while dashed lines are page break positions Excel calculated automatically.