Excel: "show margins" always active

Copper Contributor

Is it possible to have the "show margins" button always active in Excel preview like default choice?

5 Replies

Hi @Zuin_-_Amministrazione, I'm assuming you want Excel to default to the "Page Layout" view, that shows the page margins how the page will print while you're working.

 

Fortunately, this is a simple setting:

  • Click on File > Options
  • On the general tab, locate the "When creating new workbooks" section - this should be the second section down
  • Locate "Default view for new sheets" and select "Page Layout View"
  • Click OK

Now whenever you open a new workbook, it will display with the margins showing on all sides. You can change this at any time by following those same instructions and selecting "Normal View."

 

Here's a link with images showing how to do this: https://www.live2tech.com/set-page-layout-default-view-excel-2013

 

If you just want quick access to the Page Layout button, it should be available on the bottom right of your workbook next to the zoom icon on the green strip. There should be 3 icons down there: normal, page layout, page break. If it's not there, right click on the green strip to customize the status bar and make sure "View Shortcuts" is checked.

 

I hope this helps you accomplish what you're wanting to do!

Hi @sally365, thank you.

You said: "I'm assuming you want Excel to default to the "Page Layout" view, that shows the page margins how the page will print while you're working", but this is not my intention.

 

I would like the "show margins" button in the Excel preview to always be active as a default choice, so to have a quickly change of margins.

Thank you for the clarification. That is not a feature I use, but I searched for a solution and was unable to find a way to set that view as the default. There may be a way to do that, but not one I know of. Sorry I was unable to solve your request. Hopefully someone else will be able to.

@Zuin_-_Amministrazione 

in excel 2016 I would see the margins on screen when viewing the document but they 

no longer appear and I have to go into the preview.  How do I get back so I don't have 

to constantly leave the document as I am trying to make sure it prints on 1 page? 

 

@Barbarakd 

 

I think i found it, was annoying me for awhile, Office 2021 Pro:

Page layout -> Gridlines -> Click Radio button for "Print"