5 Easy Ways to Print Selected Excel Sheets

Microsoft Excel, a staple in almost every professional's toolkit, has evolved significantly over the years. Among its many features, the ability to print selected sheets from a workbook can be incredibly useful for those working with large datasets or reporting multiple project phases. This blog post delves into five easy ways to print selected Excel sheets, ensuring you streamline your printing tasks for enhanced productivity.

1. Manual Selection via Print Dialog

The most straightforward method involves using the Excel’s Print dialog box. Here’s how to do it:

• Open your workbook and press Ctrl+P or navigate to File > Print.
• Under Settings, click on Print Active Sheets. A dropdown will appear with the following options:
  • Print Active Sheets
  • Print Entire Workbook
  • Print Selection
• Select Print Active Sheets to print only the currently selected worksheet.

💡 Note: Remember, this method prints the active sheet, so ensure you have the right sheet selected before proceeding.

2. Using VBA for Batch Printing

If you deal with workbooks with many sheets, automating this task with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) can save you considerable time. Here’s a VBA code snippet to print selected sheets:

Sub PrintSpecificSheets()
    ‘ Array of sheet names to print
    Dim SheetsToPrint As Variant
    SheetsToPrint = Array(“Sheet1”, “Sheet3”, “Sheet5”)

Dim i As Integer
For i = LBound(SheetsToPrint) To UBound(SheetsToPrint)
    ' Check if the sheet exists
    If Not SheetExists(SheetsToPrint(i)) Then
        MsgBox "Sheet '" & SheetsToPrint(i) & "' does not exist!"
        Exit Sub
    End If
    ThisWorkbook.Sheets(SheetsToPrint(i)).PrintOut
Next i


End Sub

Function SheetExists(SheetName As String) As Boolean
    On Error Resume Next
    SheetExists = Not (ThisWorkbook.Sheets(SheetName) Is Nothing)
    On Error GoTo 0
End Function

💡 Note: Customize the array in the VBA code with the names of the sheets you wish to print.

3. Print Tab Delimited Sheet View

This method is handy if you don’t need to print graphics or formatting:

• Select the sheets you want to print by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on each tab.
• Go to File > Save As, choose Tab Delimited Text (.txt) from the list, and save.
• Open the text file with a text editor (like Notepad) and print the file content.

💡 Note: The sheets must be next to each other in the workbook for this to work seamlessly.

4. Create a Custom View for Repeated Printing

For recurring reports, setting up a custom view in Excel can make subsequent printing efforts effortless:

• Select the sheets you want to include in your custom view.
• Go to View > Custom Views > Add.
• Name your view (e.g., “Q1 Report”) and hit OK.
• Later, you can print this view by selecting it from View > Custom Views and choosing the print option.

💡 Note: This method preserves the layout, filters, and print settings of your selected sheets.

5. Use Third-Party Add-Ins for Advanced Printing Options

Sometimes, the built-in features might not suffice for more complex printing tasks. Consider using third-party add-ins:

• Tools like Kutools for Excel offer batch print capabilities, allowing you to print selected sheets by name, sheet type, or even by a set of custom rules.
• Install the add-in, configure your settings, and follow their specific steps to print selected sheets.

These methods provide multiple avenues for those looking to streamline the process of printing in Excel. Each approach has its merits, from the simplicity of manual selection to the power of VBA for bulk printing tasks. Whether you're managing a small personal project or dealing with extensive corporate data, mastering these techniques can significantly boost your efficiency.

Can I print multiple sheets without selecting them individually?

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Yes, you can use the Print Entire Workbook option or customize VBA code to print multiple sheets by specifying their names.

How can I ensure my print settings don’t change between uses?

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Use Custom Views in Excel to save your print settings for future use. This way, your printing options remain consistent.

Will using a third-party add-in affect Excel’s performance?

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Yes, some add-ins can slow down Excel, especially if they are not optimized. Choose reputable add-ins and monitor your system’s performance.

Can I print charts and graphics using the ‘Print Tab Delimited’ method?

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No, this method only prints the text data without any formatting or embedded graphics.

What if I need to print sheets conditionally based on their content?

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You can modify the VBA script to include conditions based on cell values, sheet properties, or custom criteria for more tailored printing needs.