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Tips.Net > ExcelTips Home > Printing > Page Setup > Setting Default Print Margins

Setting Default Print Margins

Summary: You may not like the default margins set by Excel for worksheets. The way to change those margins is to create a template for new workbooks that has the margins set the way you require. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.)

When you first start Excel, the blank workbook that is opened has specific default values set. One of those defaults is the page margins, used when you print the worksheet. If you want to change the default page margins, you can do so by following these steps:

  1. Open a new Excel workbook.
  2. Change the page margins for all the worksheets in the workbook. Make sure they reflect the page margins you want used as your default.
  3. Make any other desired "default" changes in the workbook. This may include (but not be limited to) headers, footers, and the like.
  4. Choose Save As from the File menu. Excel displays the Save As dialog box.
  5. In the Save As Type pull-down list at the bottom of the dialog box, select Template (*.xlt).
  6. The file name you use should be Book.xlt.
  7. Save your newly created template in the XLStart folder. (Do not save it in the default template folder.)

That's it. Now, any time you create a new workbook, Excel uses your template (Book.xlt) as its model for what you want.

If you are unsure of where the XLStart folder is located (step 7), use Windows to search for the folder. Its exact location can vary depending on how Excel was installed on your machine, as well as the version you are using. You should note that if you are using Excel in a networked environment, you may not have the proper permissions to modify or save anything in the XLStart folder on the server. In that case, you should talk to your network administrator to see if you can save your workbook in the proper place.

Tip #2211 applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003


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