To print Google Sheets, click File, Print, choose Current sheet, Workbook or Selected cells, adjust the layout, then click Next and Print. To print just part of a sheet, select those cells first and pick Selected cells. In Firefox or Safari, Sheets downloads a PDF that you print from your PDF viewer.
Printing a spreadsheet is where good data goes to look terrible. Columns spill onto a second page, headings vanish after page one, and you waste a stack of paper finding out. Google Sheets has a full print preview tucked behind File, Print, and a few settings in there make the difference between a tidy handout and a mess.
Print a Google Sheet, step by step
- Open your spreadsheet on a computer.
- If you only want part of it, select those cells first.
- Click File, then Print. A preview opens with settings on the right.
- Choose what to print: Current sheet, Workbook (every tab) or Selected cells.
- Adjust paper size, orientation and margins if you need to.
- Click Next, then Print in the window that appears.
One quirk from Google's help page: that last step depends on your browser. In Chrome you get the print window straight away. In Firefox or Safari, Sheets downloads a PDF instead, and you print it from your PDF viewer with File, Print.
What each print setting does
| Setting | Where | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Current sheet, Workbook, Selected cells | Top of the print panel | Print one tab, all tabs or only your selection |
| Paper size | Paper size menu | Match your printer, or enter a custom height and width |
| Orientation | Print panel, page setup | Switch from Portrait to the wider page for broad tables |
| Margins | Print panel, preset menu | Pick a preset or enter custom numbers |
| Headers and footers | Headers & footers | Add page numbers, titles or dates, and repeat frozen rows |
| Custom page breaks | Set custom page breaks | Decide exactly where each page ends |
Print only the cells you need
If your sheet has a working area and a tidy summary, there's no need to print the lot. Select the summary cells, open File, Print and choose Selected cells. The preview updates to show just that block. It's the quickest way to hand someone a one-page view of a bigger sheet.
The catch: your headings only print once unless you freeze them
This is the setting most people never find. On a long list, the column headings print on page one and every page after that is just rows of numbers with no labels. Google's fix has two parts, and the first one happens outside the print screen:
- Freeze your header row first: click View, Freeze, and choose the row.
- Open File, Print, then Headers & footers.
- Tick Repeat frozen rows (or Repeat frozen columns for wide sheets).
Now every printed page carries the headings. If the option seems to be missing, it's almost always because nothing is frozen yet.
Control where pages break
Sheets decides page breaks for you, and it doesn't always choose well. That's fine for a quick list, but it's not ideal for a report. In the print panel, click Set custom page breaks and drag the blue lines to where you want each page to end. Google says each rectangle prints on its own page. To get rid of a break, point at the line and click Remove, then click Confirm breaks when you're happy.
I use this to keep each client, month or category on its own page, which makes a printed report far easier to hand round in a meeting.
Fit a wide sheet on the page
- Switch orientation. Wide tables fit far better on the wider page setting than on Portrait.
- Narrow the margins. Choose a smaller preset, or Custom numbers if you need a few extra millimetres.
- Hide columns you don't need. Hidden columns don't print, so tuck away the working-out before you print.
- Print a selection. If only part of the sheet matters, print that and leave the rest on screen.
Headers, footers and page numbers
Under Headers & footers you can choose what goes at the top and bottom of each page, such as page numbers, the sheet name or the date. Click Edit custom fields to change where they sit or how they look, then Confirm. Page numbers are worth switching on for anything longer than two pages, in case the pile gets shuffled.
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Saving as a PDF instead
If you're printing so you can email someone a copy, you'll save time by skipping the paper. The same print panel produces a clean file: in Chrome, choose Save as PDF as the destination in the print window. You keep all your layout settings and the person gets something they can open anywhere.
My take
Before you print anything longer than a page, freeze the header row and switch on Repeat frozen rows, then check the preview. Use custom page breaks for reports and Selected cells for quick handouts. My guide to freezing rows in Google Sheets sets up the repeating headings, and hiding columns keeps the working-out off the page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print a Google Sheet?
Click File, Print, choose Current sheet, Workbook or Selected cells, adjust the settings and click Next, then Print.
How do I print only part of a Google Sheet?
Select the cells first, open File, Print and choose Selected cells. The preview shows only your selection.
How do I repeat header rows when printing Google Sheets?
Freeze the header row, then in File, Print open Headers & footers and choose Repeat frozen rows.
Why does Google Sheets download a PDF when I print?
In Firefox or Safari, Sheets downloads a PDF instead of opening the print window. Open it in your PDF viewer and print from there.
Can I choose where pages break in Google Sheets?
Yes. In the print panel click Set custom page breaks, drag the lines into place and click Confirm breaks.
