How To Print Excel to PDF Format

Whether you need a PDF version or a paper printout, this guide walks you through your options. You’ll learn how to:

• Print an Excel sheet on paper using Excel’s built-in print settings.

• “Print to PDF” on Windows and Mac to create a digital copy.

• Convert Excel to PDF online with Smallpdf—perfect if you don’t have Excel installed.

Each method keeps your tables, charts, and layout intact so your file looks the way you intended.

Alternative method: 

• For Windows, go to “File” > “Save As” and “Browse.” In the “Save as type” dropdown, select “PDF.” 

• For Mac, go to “File” > “Save As” and select “PDF” from the File Format dropdown.

Once you open the new PDF, you can read the content just like before, but individual values will be protected from being altered. Microsoft Office will also ensure that the change in file formats don’t affect the print quality of the file. So it should look identical to the original Excel file.

Excel gives you full control over how your spreadsheet appears on paper. Before printing, it helps to check the layout, margins, and scaling so the final pages look clean and easy to read.

Check Page Setup

1. Open your Excel file.

2. Go to “File” and choose “Print” or press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac).

3. Look at the print preview to see how many pages Excel will create.

Set the Print Area

1. Highlight the cells you want to print.

2. Go to “Page Layout” and choose “Print Area,” then select “Set Print Area.”

3. Open “File” and choose “Print” again to confirm that the preview has updated.

Adjust Margins and Orientation

1. Go to “Page Layout.”

2. Choose “Margins” and pick a preset or define custom margins.

3. Select “Portrait” or “Landscape” based on how your data is arranged.

Fit Your Sheet on One Page

1. Open “File”, then choose “Print”.

2. Under “Scaling,” choose “Fit Sheet on One Page” or “Fit All Columns on One Page.”

3. Use this when wide tables spill onto extra pages.

Choose Paper Size and Print

1. In “File,” select “Print” and choose your printer.

2. Pick the correct “Paper Size” (A4, Letter, etc.).

3. When the preview looks right, select “Print.”

Turning an Excel file into a PDF is useful for everyday work. For example:

• Sending a sales or budget report to a manager where the layout must stay fixed

• Sharing invoices or statements where formulas shouldn’t be visible

• Submitting forms or schedules to a bank, school, or government office that won’t accept Excel files

• Preparing a meeting pack where everyone should see the same formatting, page breaks, and charts

• Creating a non-editable copy of a quote or estimate for customers

PDF remains one of the easiest file formats to share. It opens on almost any device, doesn’t need special software, and usually takes up less space than a spreadsheet. Because the format is universal, you don’t have to worry about whether someone on another system can view your Excel file.

Smallpdf makes it easy to turn an Excel spreadsheet into a clean, shareable PDF. Your tables, charts, colors, and layout stay exactly as they appear in Excel, without needing a desktop app or a paid Office license.

Here’s why many people choose Smallpdf for Excel-to-PDF work:

• Instant conversion in your browser, with no account needed—just upload and convert right away

• Works across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android

• Same conversion quality you’d get from Office, even if Excel isn’t available on your device

• Files stay protected with TLS encryption and automatic deletion after an hour of processing

• Access to 30+ other tools if you need to merge, compress, sign, or edit your new PDF.

All your formatting carries over when converting Excel to PDF. Both Microsoft Office and our online converter follow the settings in your spreadsheet so the content transfers exactly as it is. If your workbook is set to landscape, the PDF will match it. If you’ve used specific fonts, colors, tables, or graphs, they’ll appear the same in the PDF. You get a read-only version of the same layout.

Smallpdf runs in any browser on Mac, Windows, or Linux, and you can use the Smallpdf Mobile App to convert and manage files on the go. After creating your PDF, you can keep working in tools like Compress PDF, Merge PDF, Sign PDF, or convert it to Word, PowerPoint, or JPG.

Try Smallpdf Pro with a 7-day free trial.