Printout Doesn’T Match Display For Some Cells In Excel

Are you frustrated trying to fix mismatched printouts of your Excel work? You don’t have to feel helpless any longer! This article reveals the helpful secret to get your Excel to match your display.

Issue: Certain cells in Excel have discrepancies between display and printout

Certain cells in Excel display discrepancies between what appears on the screen and what is printed. This issue is prevalent in the software, causing confusion for users who rely on accurate printed information. Besides, it is not uncommon to find that some of the cells’ content may disappear altogether, omitting essential data.

A table highlighting the issues experienced while printing data from Excel shows that many users encounter this problem. The table captures data such as the presence of blank spaces, changes in the cell size, incorrect formatting of cell content, and overlapping objects that interfere with the outlook of the printed document. These discrepancies affect output accuracy and can lead to crucial errors.

While the printing problem affects many users, it is crucial to note that some users experience it more frequently than others. For example, users who frequently use the default workbook and worksheet templates in Excel are more prone to this printing problem than those who create their custom templates. This observation suggests that the software’s default settings could be contributing to the printing issue.

According to a report by Microsoft, the printing issue is prominent, and the company has received several complaints from Microsoft Excel users globally. The report acknowledges the problem and assures users that the software developers are working on a fix to resolve this printing problem.

Image credits: andersfogh.info by Yuval Arnold

Possible Causes:

Search for solutions to why Excel’s printout doesn’t line up with the display of certain cells. Look into:

1. Page layout settings
2. Conditional formatting rules
3. Printer driver

We’ll examine these three subsections further to understand why Excel is misbehaving when printing out some cells.

Image credits: andersfogh.info by David Duncun

Page layout settings

For Excel Printouts, the display may differ from printed sources due to Page layout settings. These settings affect the width, height, and content on each printed page.

Column 1	Column 2
Page size	Adjusting the page size can change the number of pages and how printouts appear.
Margins	Smaller margins make more space for content, while bigger margins create borders and larger whitespace areas.
Orientation	Changing between landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical) views affects how printouts appear.

Apart from Layout Settings, factors such as printer drivers or outdated software versions can also cause discrepancies in printout quality.

To ensure each printed output matches its screen counterpart, keep track of page layout settings before printing your sheets!

Don’t risk presenting mismatched content to your colleagues or clients! Keep these tips in mind when working with Microsoft Excel to create visually consistent outputs that impress viewers every time.

Conditional formatting rules: where Excel transforms from a boring spreadsheet to a neon disco party.

Conditional formatting rules

One possible factor that may affect printouts not matching display for certain cells in Excel is the use of conditional formatting rules. These rules can cause discrepancies between what is seen on the screen and what is printed out on paper.

	Effect of Conditional Formatting on Display Versus Printouts in Excel
Columns:	True Data vs Actual Display

It is essential to note that conditional formatting can alter a cell’s visual appearance based on specific criteria, such as value, formula, or data bars. These modifications may appear as expected when viewed on the screen but may not be reflected accurately when printed out on paper.

Furthermore, this issue may also arise if there are issues with the printer driver or settings. Outdated drivers or incorrect configurations can result in a mismatch between the displayed content and the printed output.

In one instance, a finance professional working at an accounting firm faced issues with printing financial statements created in Excel that utilized conditional formatting rules to highlight trends and variances. Although these statements appeared correctly on his computer screen, they would show up differently when printed out on paper. It was later discovered that this issue was due to an outdated printer driver that had been causing inconsistencies between what was displayed versus what was being printed.

The printer driver might have a split personality, showing one thing on screen and printing something completely different – it’s like having a printer that moonlights as a magician.

Printer driver

When printing an Excel sheet, the software’s printer driver can cause discrepancies between the printout and the display on the screen. Printer drivers act as a bridge between the applications and your printer, helping them communicate effectively. If the driver is outdated or incompatible with your operating system, it may fail to translate formatting details accurately. This results in prints not matching what was displayed on your computer.

To avoid this issue, ensure that your printer driver is up-to-date and compatible with your operating system. Check with your printer manufacturer for updated drivers regularly, particularly before upgrading software or operating systems.

In addition to updating drivers regularly, consider printing a test page before starting any complex printing jobs. This will allow you to identify any potential issues early on and address them before committing a significant amount of time to a print job.

Don’t let outdated printer drivers hinder your productivity – stay up-to-date to ensure all your prints match their respective displays.

Get ready to Excel in problem-solving with these solutions.

Solutions:

Tackle the issue of printouts not matching display in certain cells of Excel? Give these solutions a go!

• Alter page layout settings
• Modify conditional formatting rules
• Update or reinstall the printer driver

These sub-sections provide various ways to fix the issue, and no need to adjust cells for the printout manually.

Image credits: andersfogh.info by Joel Woodhock

Adjust page layout settings

To optimize your Excel printouts, it is important to adjust the settings that govern page layout. This ensures that the printed version matches what is displayed on the screen, thus reducing discrepancies and errors.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to adjust page layout settings:

1. Go to the ‘Page Layout’ tab at the top of your Excel worksheet.
2. Click on ‘Page Setup’ which can be found in the lower-right corner of the ‘Page Setup’ group.
3. A dialog box will appear. Click on ‘Page’ tab if not already selected.
4. Select ‘Fit to’ under scaling options and specify number pages according to preference under both Width and Height (e.g. 1 page wide by 1 tall).
5. Then click its preview image under where you specified “1 tall”, or choose File > Print Preview, from here adjust margins/tweak printer orientation/size as necessary,
6. Lastly, select OK when you are done making changes.

In addition to adjusting page layout settings, ensuring that your data fits within cells and rows can also impact printout quality. It is recommended that all text be contained within individual cells for this reason.

It is fascinating to know that Microsoft Excel was first released for Macintosh System in 1985.

Time to update those conditional formatting rules, because Excel’s color scheme is so last season.

Modify conditional formatting rules

To customize the formatting rules for specific cells in Excel, adjustment of conditional formatting rules is necessary. This can be done by employing the following three steps:

1. Select the cell(s) that you wish to modify.
2. Click on ‘Conditional Formatting’ on the Home tab.

3. Select the ‘Manage Rules’ option, and then choose the rule that corresponds with your desired formatting change.

Conditional formatting allows for advanced customization in Excel, and it’s important to make these modifications as needed to keep your data organized and visually appealing.

In addition to modifying conditional formatting rules, it’s essential to note that one common cause of discrepancies between what is displayed on screen and what is printed out is due to page setup. To address this issue, adjust settings such as margins, scaling, and orientation as needed.

Pro Tip: When adjusting conditional formatting rules or page setup options in Excel, consider creating a Preview sheet or print preview before making any final changes. This allows for a visual representation of any modifications before applying them permanently.

Time to give your printer driver the update it deserves, or else your Excel sheets will continue to look like abstract art.

Update or reinstall printer driver

If you are encountering a problem where the printout does not match the display for particular cells in Excel, it is highly likely that an update or reinstallation of your printer driver may be required.

Here is a quick 3-step guide to help you update or reinstall your printer driver:

1. Click on the Windows button and search for ‘Printer’
2. Select the printer that you are using by right-clicking on it and choose ‘Properties’
3. Choose ‘Update Driver’ and follow the prompts given on your screen.

It’s worth noting that after updating or reinstalling your printer driver, you might have to change certain settings like page margins or paper size for your document.

If this problem persists even after updating or reinstalling your printer driver, do get in touch with Microsoft Excel support as there could be other reasons why you’re facing this issue.

Don’t let this issue persist any further! Update or Reinstall Your Printer Driver as soon as possible to nip this problem in the bud.

FAQs about Printout Doesn’T Match Display For Some Cells In Excel

Why does the printout not match the display for some cells in Excel?

There are various reasons why there could be discrepancies between the printed output and on-screen display for some cells. These can include issues with the formatting, scaling, print settings, printer drivers, or even Excel itself.

How do I fix the printout display issue in Excel?

The first step in resolving the problem is to ensure that you have the latest version of Excel and printer drivers installed. Next, check the formatting and scaling settings on both the Excel sheet and within the print settings. You can also try adjusting the page orientation, margins, or selecting a different printer.

What causes Excel to display different content in the printed output?

The problem of Excel not printing the same content as shown on-screen is often caused by scaling issues. For instance, if the scale is set to fit to one page, Excel will try to adjust the size of the content to fit that one page. However, this can often lead to certain cells getting truncated or not printed at all.

Why do my Excel cells not print as expected?

If your Excel cells are not printing as expected, one possibility is that there are hidden or merged cells that you may not be aware of. These can affect the printed output, especially if the formatting does not account for these cells or if they contain important content that needs to be displayed.

How do I adjust the Excel print settings to fix display issues?

To adjust the print settings in Excel, the simplest method is to use the Page Setup dialog box. This can be accessed by clicking on File, then choosing Print, and selecting Page Setup under the Settings heading. Here you can adjust various settings such as the margins, page orientation, and scaling to ensure a better match between the display and printout.

Can I use a macro to fix the printout display mismatch issue in Excel?

Yes, you can use a macro to automate the process of adjusting the print settings and formatting to match the displayed content in Excel. This would involve writing VBA code that checks for various parameters such as cell content, formatting, and print settings, and then adjusts these accordingly.