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Murph87's avatar
Murph87
Occasional Reader
May 13, 2026

Excel Documents printing an extra border around the outside of all of my documents

I have been printing and previewing my excel documents recently.  I am not sure when this issue started. Any time I preview and/or print an Excel spreadsheet this extra border shows up AROUND the en...
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NikolinoDE's avatar
NikolinoDE
Platinum Contributor
May 13, 2026

Since you've already tackled the common cell-formatting fixes, this is almost certainly a system or application-level setting that's changed. Let's walk through the most likely culprits in order, from quickest check to more thorough fix.

Phase 1: Quick Checks (30 seconds)

First, let's rule out the simplest, most overlooked settings.

 1. Check your View Mode: Look at the bottom-right of the Excel window. Make sure you are in Normal view, not Page Layout view (which can render a page frame that sneaks into print). A quick click can fix this instantly.

 2. Test with a brand new workbook: Press Ctrl+N for a fresh, blank file, type a test word in cell A1, and go to File > Print. Do you see the border?

  • If NO: Great! The issue is likely in a template or header/footer in your existing files. Skip straight to Step 3.
  • If YES: The problem is application-wide. Jump to Step 4.

Phase 2: File-Specific Fixes (If the new workbook was clean)

 3. Scrub your Headers & Footers: This is a very common culprit. In one of your problem files, go to Insert > Header & Footer. Carefully clear out everything (text, lines, spaces, tiny images) from the left, center, and right sections of both the header and footer. Check your print preview again.

Phase 3: Application & System Fixes (If the new workbook also has the border)

Now we need to find out if Excel or your printer driver is the source.

 4. The Decisive "Print to PDF" Test: In your new test workbook, go to File > Print and change the printer to "Microsoft Print to PDF". Click Print and save the file.

  • If the PDF is clean: We've found the culprit—it’s your printer driver software, not Excel. Please skip to Step 6.
  • If the PDF HAS the border: The problem lives inside Excel or a Windows setting. Proceed to Step5

 5. Repair Excel/Windows Settings:

  • Check High Contrast: Type "Contrast themes" in your Windows Start menu. Ensure the top drop-down is set to "None." If it was on, turn it off and test.
  • Repair Office: If the High Contrast setting wasn't the issue, let's fix Office itself. Close all Office programs, go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, find Microsoft Office, and click Change > Quick Repair. If the border persists, repeat this step and run the Online Repair.

 6. Fix the Printer Driver (Only if the PDF Test was clean):

  • A recent Windows update has likely corrupted the driver. Please visit your printer manufacturer's official website (HP, Canon, etc.), search for your exact printer model, and download the latest full driver package. Installing this fresh should overwrite the problematic setting.

 

Please give these a try in order…. I hope this helps you.