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samcharlton69's avatar
samcharlton69
Copper Contributor
Oct 14, 2025

can't export excel to pdf.

been using excel online for years to generate invoices. mobile (IOS) and Desktop (on chrome browser). 

All of a sudden i can no longer export to pdf. it says workbook is empty. help please. 

 

 

3 Replies

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Platinum Contributor

    If the regular “Export to PDF” feature in Excel Online isn’t working, you can still create a PDF using your browser’s Print function. This works well in most cases.

     

    On Desktop (Chrome, Edge, etc.):

    1. Open your Excel file in Excel Online (in the browser).
    2. Click on File > Print > Print (don’t choose “Download as PDF” if that’s giving errors).
    3. A print preview will load – wait until it finishes loading.
    4. The browser's print dialog will open.
    5. In the print dialog:
    6. Set the Destination / Printer to: "Save as PDF".
    7. Adjust settings like pages, layout, scaling, etc., if needed.
    8. Click Save and choose where to save the PDF on your computer.

     

    On iPhone / iPad (iOS):

    If you’re using Excel Online in Safari or Chrome:

    1. Tap the Share icon (a square with an arrow pointing up).
    2. Choose Print.
    3. In the print preview, zoom in on the preview with two fingers – this opens the document as a PDF.
    4. Then tap Share again to:
    • Save to Files
    • Send via email
    • Or open in another app (e.g., Books or Drive)

     

    If that still doesn't work:

    There might be a problem with:

    • your browser's cache
    • the specific Excel workbook
    • or a temporary issue with Excel Online

    If needed, you can also try:

    • opening the file in Google Sheets and exporting to PDF from there
    • or downloading it and opening it in Excel desktop

     

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

    • samcharlton69's avatar
      samcharlton69
      Copper Contributor

      Hey thanks for the reply. 

      Same thing when printing. 

      So weird. Some days it works, other days it doesn't. And its across desktop and IOS. 

      google sheets changes all the formatting so not worth it to restart the whole workbook. 

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