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Print gridlines in Windows Excel
Microsoft’s instructions cover Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel 2021 for Windows. Follow these steps for each sheet you want to print with gridlines.
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- Select the worksheet. If you have several sheets selected, Excel groups them, so the setting applies to all of them. To cancel grouping, click an unselected sheet tab, or right-click a selected tab and choose Ungroup Sheets.
- Go to the Page Layout tab. In the Sheet Options group, find Gridlines and check Print.
- Open File > Print, or press Ctrl+P, and check the preview before you print.
The same checkbox is also available in the Page Setup dialog. Open it from the launcher arrow in the Page Setup group of the Page Layout tab, or from the Page Setup link on the print screen. Select the Sheet tab and check Gridlines under Print. Microsoft’s Page Setup reference states that gridlines do not print by default, whether or not they are visible on the worksheet.
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Print gridlines on a Mac
In Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel 2021 for Mac), select the sheet, open the Page Layout tab, and under Gridlines check Print. Then open File > Print to review the page before printing.
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Excel for the web does not print gridlines
Excel for the web does not support printing gridlines. If the printout needs visible cell divisions, use borders instead:
- Select the cells that need lines.
- Go to Home > Borders > All Borders.
- Open File > Print to preview the result.
Borders are real formatting, so they print darker and more clearly than gridlines. They are a different feature from worksheet gridlines, which is why the workaround is only a substitute.
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Why gridlines are missing from the printout
When the Print checkbox is set correctly and the printout still lacks lines, check these causes in order.
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Showing gridlines on the worksheet and printing them are separate settings. A sheet can display lines on screen while the Print box stays cleared. Confirm the checkbox under Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines for the sheet you are printing.
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A cell fill is covering the gridlines
A fill color hides the gridlines in the cells it covers. This includes white fill, which hides them as well. To restore them, select the cells and choose No Fill. If the fill must stay, add borders to the cells instead.
Draft quality is turned on
Draft quality can drop lines from a printout. In the print screen, open Page Setup, select the Sheet tab, and clear Draft quality if it is checked. Microsoft recommends this step when lines are missing in preview or in print.
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Empty cells are outside the print area
Gridlines print only around cells that fall inside the print area and contain data. If blank cells need visible boundaries, widen the print area to include them, or format those cells with borders.
An object is selected and the options are dimmed
A selected chart, picture, or other object can disable the Sheet Options controls. Click a cell to cancel the object selection, then try again.
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The printer driver is the likely cause
If the settings above are correct and gridlines still fail to print, Microsoft says the printer driver may be the problem. Download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer’s website and print again. This is general troubleshooting advice; Microsoft does not name a particular driver or printer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Remove lines that still print
Gridlines and borders are separate features, so each needs its own fix:
- Gridlines: clear Page Layout > Sheet Options > Gridlines > Print, then check the result in File > Print.
- Cell borders: select the affected cells and remove them from the Home > Borders menu.
- Fill: if colored cells look like they have lines, remove the fill with No Fill.
Gridlines or borders: which to use
Gridlines and borders solve different problems. Choose based on what the printed page needs.
| Factor | Worksheet gridlines | Cell borders |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Entire worksheet; cannot be applied to selected ranges | Selected cells or ranges |
| Customization | Not customizable | Customizable through the Borders menu |
| Cells with fill | Hidden by any fill, including white | Remain visible with fill |
| Blank cells | Print only if the blank cells are inside the print area | Print on blank cells when applied to them |
| Excel for the web | Not printed | Printed |
Use gridlines for a plain, sheet-wide grid on desktop Excel. Use borders when only some cells need lines, when cells are filled, when blank cells need boundaries, or when you work in Excel for the web.
Where the official guidance comes from
The steps above follow Microsoft Support articles on printing gridlines in a worksheet, printing cell gridlines on a Mac, showing or hiding gridlines, and Page Setup. As of October 2026, these pages did not display publication dates, so check the version list on the page you use if your Excel build differs.
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