How to Configure Print Settings in Excel VBA: Methods and Practical Use Cases

Printing is one of those tasks in Excel that seems simple—until you need a perfectly formatted, multi-page report that looks identical every time. Many professionals struggle with headers being cut off, scaling issues that shrink everything unreadably small, or inconsistent margins between team members.

When reports, invoices, or dashboards are frequently printed or exported, automating the print settings through Excel VBA can save hours of manual adjustment. With a few well-placed lines of VBA code, you can standardize print layouts, set margins, control orientation, and even export automatically to PDF.

This comprehensive guide explains how to set up, adjust, and automate print settings in Excel using VBA. You’ll learn not only how to configure them but why each setting matters for business workflows.

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✅ Why Automating Print Settings in Excel VBA Matters

Every Excel user has faced the pain of bad print formatting: half a column missing, multiple blank pages, or columns squeezed too tight to read. Manual tweaking consumes time and leads to inconsistent results across users.

Automation with VBA solves these challenges:

• Ensures consistent print layouts across all users and systems
• Reduces time wasted on repeated manual setup
• Prevents human error and paper waste
• Allows automated delivery through PDF exports or RPA workflows

・When to Automate Print Setup

Automation is ideal when:

1. You frequently print the same formatted report.
2. You export files daily or weekly as PDFs.
3. You distribute documents to external clients or management.
4. You need consistent margins, scaling, or orientation across workbooks.

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✅ Understanding the Excel VBA Print Setup Model

Before diving into code, it’s crucial to know the object structure that controls print settings.

In VBA, almost every print-related property belongs to the PageSetup object under a worksheet.

ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PropertyName

・Key PageSetup Properties

Setting	Property	Description
Print Area	.PrintArea	Defines which cells are printed
Margins	.TopMargin, .LeftMargin	Sets distance from page edges
Orientation	.Orientation	Portrait or Landscape
Fit to Page	.FitToPagesWide, .FitToPagesTall	Adjusts scaling automatically
Headers/Footers	.LeftHeader, .RightFooter	Adds text, date, or path info
Centering	.CenterHorizontally, .CenterVertically	Aligns print content
Paper Size	.PaperSize	Chooses A4, Letter, etc.
Zoom	.Zoom	Manual scaling percentage

Understanding these properties gives you precise control over printing logic.

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✅ Setting the Page Orientation and Paper Size

・Set Orientation to Landscape or Portrait

Orientation is often the first setting to automate because wide tables print better in landscape.

Sub SetOrientationLandscape()
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.Orientation = xlLandscape
End Sub

To revert to Portrait:

Sub SetOrientationPortrait()
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.Orientation = xlPortrait
End Sub

Tip: Pair orientation with Fit-to-Page scaling for the best readability.

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・Set Paper Size for Different Regions

Different printers or companies use different paper standards (A4, Letter, Legal). Automate it to match your environment:

Sub SetPaperA4()
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PaperSize = xlPaperA4
End Sub

Available options include xlPaperLetter, xlPaperLegal, and more.
This ensures your report looks identical regardless of printer defaults.

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✅ Adjusting Margins Automatically

Margins determine how close data appears to the paper edge. Proper margins create balance and avoid cut-off text.

・Set Custom Margins

Sub SetCustomMargins()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.TopMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.75)
.BottomMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.75)
.LeftMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.5)
.RightMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.5)
End With
End Sub

・Why Margin Automation Helps

• Keeps visuals consistent in multi-department printing.
• Prevents hidden printer defaults from altering reports.
• Reduces layout errors when exporting to PDF.

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✅ Adding Headers and Footers Automatically

Headers and footers improve clarity by including titles, file paths, dates, or page numbers.

・Add Dynamic Date and Page Numbers

Sub AddHeaderFooter()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.CenterHeader = "Monthly Sales Report"
.RightHeader = "Printed on &D"
.CenterFooter = "Page &P of &N"
End With
End Sub

・Insert File Path or Sheet Name

Sub InsertPathAndName()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.LeftHeader = "&F"
.RightHeader = "&A"
End With
End Sub

Result:
Top left shows the filename, right shows sheet name, ensuring easy identification during audits.

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✅ Scaling and Fit-to-Page Techniques

When reports grow wider than a single page, you can either shrink data (Zoom) or fit it to specific page limits.

・Fit to One Page Wide Automatically

Sub FitOnePageWide()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.Zoom = False
.FitToPagesWide = 1
.FitToPagesTall = False
End With
End Sub

This keeps width consistent while allowing height to expand as needed—ideal for lengthy data lists.

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・Fit Entire Report on One Page

Sub FitToSinglePage()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.Zoom = False
.FitToPagesWide = 1
.FitToPagesTall = 1
End With
End Sub

Great for dashboards, invoices, or management summaries.

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・Set Custom Zoom Levels

Sub CustomZoom()
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.Zoom = 80
End Sub

When you prefer manual control over automatic scaling.

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✅ Controlling Page Breaks Programmatically

Page breaks allow you to control where a new page begins. This ensures logical grouping of data.

・Insert a Page Break at a Specific Row

Sub AddPageBreak()
ActiveSheet.HPageBreaks.Add Before:=Rows(30)
End Sub

・Remove All Page Breaks

Sub ClearPageBreaks()
ActiveSheet.ResetAllPageBreaks
End Sub

Page breaks are especially useful for printing long transaction logs or separating regional reports.

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✅ Repeat Header Rows on Every Page

When printing multi-page reports, repeating header rows maintains clarity.

・Set First Row as Print Title

Sub RepeatHeaderRow()
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintTitleRows = "$1:$1"
End Sub

・Include Top Two Rows

Sub RepeatTwoRows()
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintTitleRows = "$1:$2"
End Sub

Headers remain visible across all printed pages.

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✅ Centering the Print Area on Paper

Centering makes the report visually balanced and professional.

Sub CenterReport()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.CenterHorizontally = True
.CenterVertically = False
End With
End Sub

This creates symmetry for presentations or customer-facing documents.

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✅ Preview, Print, and Export Automatically

Automation isn’t only about setup—it’s also about execution.

・Preview Before Printing

Sub ShowPrintPreview()
ActiveSheet.PrintPreview
End Sub

Allows users to confirm before sending to the printer.

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・Direct Print Execution

Sub PrintSheetNow()
ActiveSheet.PrintOut
End Sub

This can be combined with condition checks, for example:

If MsgBox("Print this report?", vbYesNo) = vbYes Then
ActiveSheet.PrintOut
End If

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・Export as PDF Automatically

Sub ExportToPDF()
ActiveSheet.ExportAsFixedFormat _
Type:=xlTypePDF, _
Filename:="MonthlyReport.pdf", _
Quality:=xlQualityStandard
End Sub

PDF automation is particularly powerful when combined with RPA tools such as UiPath.
For instance, UiPath can detect the newly created file and email it to a distribution list automatically.

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✅ Selecting a Specific Printer via VBA

If multiple printers exist in the office, VBA can select the right one.

Sub SelectPrinter()
Application.ActivePrinter = "OfficePrinter on Ne01:"
ActiveSheet.PrintOut
End Sub

Tip: You can retrieve printer names using:

Debug.Print Application.ActivePrinter

Automation ensures reports are always sent to the correct device—no more misprints on the wrong floor.

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✅ Printing Charts and Shapes Properly

By default, only cell data prints. You can force charts and shapes to appear correctly.

・Ensure Charts Are Within Print Area

Sub IncludeChartInPrint()
ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintArea = Range("A1:G40").Address
End Sub

Ensure the chart’s position overlaps this range. You can move it via VBA:

ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(1).Top = Range("A20").Top

・Print a Chart Directly

Sub PrintChart()
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(1).Chart.PrintOut
End Sub

Useful for summary dashboards.

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✅ Advanced Print Setup Scenarios

・Combine Multiple Settings in One Macro

Sub FullPrintSetup()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.Orientation = xlLandscape
.PaperSize = xlPaperA4
.FitToPagesWide = 1
.FitToPagesTall = False
.CenterHorizontally = True
.TopMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.5)
.BottomMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.5)
.LeftMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.3)
.RightMargin = Application.InchesToPoints(0.3)
.PrintTitleRows = "$1:$1"
.CenterFooter = "Page &P of &N"
End With
ActiveSheet.PrintPreview
End Sub

This all-in-one macro prepares a clean, business-ready layout instantly.

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・Automate Company Branded Reports

Include logos or disclaimers via headers and footers:

Sub AddCompanyBranding()
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.LeftHeaderPicture.Filename = "C:\Brand\logo.png"
.LeftHeader = "&G"
.RightFooter = "Confidential - Company Use Only"
End With
End Sub

Corporate reporting becomes uniform and compliant with visual identity.

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✅ Troubleshooting Common Print Setup Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
Blank pages printed	Hidden formatting beyond range	Clear print area or reset UsedRange
Text shrinks too small	FitToPage misused	Use FitToPagesWide only
Margins inconsistent	Printer overrides defaults	Define margins explicitly in VBA
Headers missing	Not defined in PageSetup	Add .PrintTitleRows property
Wrong printer used	Default printer differs	Use Application.ActivePrinter before printing

Automation ensures these problems vanish permanently.

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✅ Practical Business Use Cases

1. Weekly Sales Reports: Automatically formatted for PDF distribution every Friday.
2. Invoice Generation: Predefined margins, header logo, and scaling for A4 paper.
3. Operations Dashboards: Wide datasets fit horizontally in one page for managers.
4. Audit Documentation: Date-stamped footers with page numbers for compliance.
5. RPA Integration: UiPath triggers Excel VBA macros → auto-print → export → email.

These workflows reduce human involvement while keeping presentation consistent.

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✅ Best Practices for Professional Print Automation

• Always clear the old print area before setting a new one.
• Test scaling on different printers — default DPI affects results.
• Store margin, orientation, and scaling preferences in a configuration sheet.
• Use named ranges for dynamic datasets.
• Integrate with RPA for automated distribution of printed/PDF reports.

Automation isn’t just time-saving—it standardizes your organization’s reporting style.

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✅ Summary: Automate Print Settings to Produce Consistent, Professional Reports

• Excel VBA enables precise control of every print parameter.
• You can automate orientation, scaling, headers, and footers.
• Fit-to-page settings prevent unreadable results.
• Dynamic page breaks and margins maintain clarity.
• PDF export and printer control enable full automation.
• Integrated with UiPath or similar RPA tools, this creates a seamless “print and deliver” pipeline.

Mastering these VBA print setup techniques allows professionals to produce consistent, business-ready reports in seconds—no manual intervention, no surprises.

From finance departments to logistics teams, everyone benefits from clean, automated, and perfectly formatted output.