You’ve created a spreadsheet (a workbook in Microsoft parlance) in Microsoft Excel and now want to print it. By default, Excel uses metrics such as paper size, margin settings, and scale to insert page breaks automatically. To get clean, discrete pages without cutting off rows or text, however, you can insert a page break in the Excel spreadsheet manually.

Insert a Page Break

You can create manual page breaks in Normal view in Excel, but the Page Break Preview view enables you to see details such as the difference between an automatic page break and a manual page break. Excel denotes an automatic page break by a dashed line. It denotes a manual page break by a solid line.

The instructions in this article apply to Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, and Excel 2007.

Now that you know what you’re looking for, complete the following steps to insert a manual page break in your workbook:

  • On the ribbon, select View > Page Break Preview.
  • Alternatively, select Page Break Preview in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
  • For a vertical page break: Select the row below where the break will be.
  • For a horizontal page break: Select the column to the right of where the break will be.
  • On the ribbon, select the Page Layout tab.
  • Choose Breaks.
  • From the drop-down menu next to Breaks, select what you’d like to do: insert, remove, or reset.

Edit a Page Break

You can edit page breaks in Excel in three ways:

On the ribbon, select View > Page Break Preview.

Alternatively, select Page Break Preview in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.

For a vertical page break: Select the row below where the break will be.

For a horizontal page break: Select the column to the right of where the break will be.

On the ribbon, select the Page Layout tab.

Choose Breaks.

From the drop-down menu next to Breaks, select what you’d like to do: insert, remove, or reset.

  • Move a specific page break.Delete a specific page break.Remove all manual page breaks.

Move a Specific Page Break

To move a specific page break, select the page break you want to move, and drag it to the new location.

Delete a Specific Page Break

To delete a specific page break:

You can also move automatic page breaks, but doing so changes them to manual page breaks.

  • Select the row below or the column to the right of the break you want to delete.
  • On the ribbon, select Page Layout > Breaks.
  • Select Remove Page Break from the Breaks drop-down.

Remove All Manual Page Breaks

To remove all manual page breaks, select Page Layout > Breaks > Reset All Page Breaks.

Select the row below or the column to the right of the break you want to delete.

On the ribbon, select Page Layout > Breaks.

Select Remove Page Break from the Breaks drop-down.

You cannot delete an automatic page break.

Another way: Right-click any cell in the workbook, and then select Reset All Page Breaks from the contextual menu.

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