Excel PDF export on external monitor cuts off

[EvanSullivan37]

So this is no joke, so I am reaching out.  I have a user trying to export a sheet, which is a chart, to PDF.  When the Excel window is on the external monitor it cuts off the chart.  When the Excel window is on the laptop monitor, it does not.

I did not see anything in a search and I am at a loss.  Anyone have thoughts?

[#2]

@EvanSullivan37 

If you are experiencing issues with Excel cutting off the chart when exporting to PDF on an external monitor, it could be related to the display settings or resolution settings on the external monitor. Here are a few suggestions to address this issue:

1. Adjust the display settings on the external monitor:
• Right-click on the desktop and select "Display settings" (Windows) or "System Preferences" > "Displays" (Mac).
• Ensure that the resolution and scaling settings for the external monitor are set appropriately.
• Try different resolution options to see if it resolves the issue.
2. Use the "Fit to Page" option before exporting to PDF:
• Select the chart in Excel.
• Go to the "Page Layout" tab in the Excel ribbon.
• Click on the "Print Area" dropdown and select "Fit to Page" or "Fit to Sheet".
• Adjust the scaling options if needed.
• Export the sheet to PDF again and check if the chart is properly displayed.
3. Adjust the Excel window size on the external monitor:
• Maximize the Excel window on the external monitor to ensure that it occupies the entire screen.
• Resize the chart within the Excel window to fit properly.
• Export the sheet to PDF again and check if the chart is correctly included.
4. Update the display drivers:
• Ensure that you have the latest display drivers installed for your external monitor.
• Visit the manufacturer's website or use a driver update utility to check for and install any available updates.

If the issue persists after trying these suggestions, it may be worth testing with different external monitors or consulting with your IT department for further assistance.

The steps were processed using AI.

Hope this will help you.

[#3]

I am confused as to why the display settings on a monitor would affect the export output from Excel? Should it not use the page settings to determine all that not the display settings?

[#4]

Print area is greyed out, I cannot adjust it

[#5]

@EvanSullivan37 

The page settings, including the print area, margins, and scaling, should be the primary factors that determine the layout and content of the exported PDF.

If the print area option is grayed out in Excel, it could be due to the following reasons:

1. Active cell selection: Make sure that you have selected a cell within the range of your chart before accessing the "Page Layout" tab. The print area option may be disabled if no cells or objects are selected.
2. Protected worksheet: If the worksheet is protected, the print area option might be restricted. You can try unprotecting the worksheet before modifying the print area.
3. Chart in a grouped shape: If your chart is placed within a grouped shape or object, the print area option may be disabled. In this case, you would need to ungroup the shape or object before adjusting the print area.

If none of these reasons apply, it's possible that there may be other factors or limitations specific to your Excel version or configuration. In such cases, you could consider alternative methods for exporting the chart to PDF, such as using third-party PDF printer software or saving the chart as an image and then creating a PDF from the image file. It would be helpful to gather more information about the specific Excel version, operating system, and any other relevant details to further investigate and provide more accurate guidance. The steps were processed using AI.

[#6]

I did not create this but it looks like the chart was moved to its own sheet with no cells in it by right clicking, choosing move chart, and doing new sheet. So there are no cells to select. The sheet is not protected.

Looks like any of the sheets where a chart has been moved to it's own page has the print area greyed out.  The data sheet, it is not.  I am guessing this is normal behaviour? 

[#7]

Windows 11. Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 - en-us - 16.0.10399.20000

[#8]

@EvanSullivan37 

Please try the following steps on your Windows 11 system with Office 2019:

1. Adjust the display settings on the external monitor:

   • Right-click on the desktop and select "Display settings".
   • Ensure that the resolution and scaling settings for the external monitor are set appropriately.
   • Try different resolution options to see if it resolves the issue.

2. Use the "Fit to Page" option before exporting to PDF:

   • Select the chart in Excel.
   • Go to the "Page Layout" tab in the Excel ribbon.
   • Click on the "Print Area" dropdown and select "Fit to Page" or "Fit to Sheet".
   • Adjust the scaling options if needed.
   • Export the sheet to PDF again and check if the chart is properly displayed.

3. Adjust the Excel window size on the external monitor:

   • Maximize the Excel window on the external monitor to ensure that it occupies the entire screen.
   • Resize the chart within the Excel window to fit properly.
   • Export the sheet to PDF again and check if the chart is correctly included.

[#9]

I am not sure if this is a bot. #2 we were just talking about and I already said that is greyed out. All of these were already mentioned and now posted again like they were just not posted.

[#10]

@EvanSullivan37 

If the chart has been moved to its own sheet using the "Move Chart" feature in Excel, it is expected behavior that the print area option is grayed out on that specific chart sheet. When a chart is moved to its own sheet, Excel treats it as a separate object rather than a part of the worksheet containing cells and data.

In this case, to adjust the print area for the chart sheet, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to the chart sheet where the chart is located.
2. On the Excel ribbon, go to the "Page Layout" tab.
3. Click on the "Print Area" dropdown.
4. Select "Set Print Area" from the dropdown.
5. Adjust the dotted lines that appear on the chart sheet to encompass the desired print area.
6. Save the changes.

By following these steps, you can define the print area for the chart sheet and ensure that the desired portion of the chart is included when exporting to PDF or printing.

Please note that when the chart is on its own sheet, the print area settings are specific to that chart sheet and won't impact the print area settings on other sheets. Each sheet, including the chart sheet, can have its own separate print area defined. 

The steps were processed using AI.

I apologize for any confusion caused earlier, and I hope this clarifies the print area functionality for chart sheets in Excel. 

[#11]

I am really sorry. In this post you said it's expected behavior for the print area to be greyed out but then you said in the steps to go to the print area. Which is greyed out and expected.

Also, I am able to reproduce this using the same setup as the user (same model laptop\monitor).  Drivers are update to date and the display scaling and resolution are normal.

However on my laptop, different model, and monitor (which is the same model) it works fine.

[#12]

The different behavior between different laptops and monitors can actually occur due to differences in hardware configuration, graphics drivers or compatibility with Excel versions. These factors can affect how Excel handles certain features, including the print area option for chart sheets.

Also, if the issue occurs on a particular laptop and monitor combination while it works fine on others, that would suggest that the behavior is related to the specific hardware and software setup of that particular combination, otherwise I can't figure it out either explain... I'm at the end of my wits too. Maybe work through everything from scratch. Win & Office update, start Excel in safe mode, deactivate all AddIns, and if none of this helps, also install new monitor drivers. I can't think of more than what to do.

[#13]

I am at about the point. I would not think that the export would depend on displays and\or drivers but it seems I am wrong.

[#14]

I have more information. I have narrowed it down to the display scaling in Windows display settings.

Since the laptop screen is smaller the display scaling is set to 150% and the external is set to 100%. If I set both to 100% THEN open the workbook it prints fine off both displays.

Sounds like either a bug or (un)intended behavior from Excel. I am not sure there is a fix for this.

[#15]

@EvanSullivan37 This is crazy. I have been fighting with this same issue of trying to print an Excel graph to PDF. The print preview looks fine, but the graph is cut off in the PDF document. I had my Excel file on my external monitor while trying to convert to PDF. I just drug the Excel file to my laptop monitor and used Print to Adobe PDF and magically the entire chart was displayed in the PDF! Wow.