How To Print Excel to PDF Format

Whether you need a PDF version or a paper printout, this guide walks you through your options. You’ll learn how to:

• Print an Excel sheet on paper using Excel’s built-in print settings.
• “Print to PDF” on Windows and Mac to create a digital copy.
• Convert Excel to PDF online with Smallpdf—perfect if you don’t have Excel installed.

Each method keeps your tables, charts, and layout intact so your file looks the way you intended.

How to Convert Excel to PDF (Online and in Microsoft Excel)

Converting Excel files to PDF takes just seconds—whether you use our free online tool or Microsoft Excel’s built-in features.

Convert Excel to PDF online (free) with Smallpdf

1. Open the Excel to PDF tool on our website.
2. Drag and drop your Excel file or choose it from your device.
3. Wait a few seconds while we convert it to PDF.
4. Download your new PDF to your device.

Save or print to PDF in Microsoft Excel

1. Open your Excel file on your computer.
2. Click “File” and then “Print” or Ctrl + P.
3. Choose “Print to PDF” in the printer dropdown.
4. Adjust the formatting if needed and click “Print.”

Alternative method:

• For Windows, go to “File” > “Save As” and “Browse.” In the “Save as type” dropdown, select “PDF.”
• For Mac, go to “File” > “Save As” and select “PDF” from the File Format dropdown.

Once you open the new PDF, you can read the content just like before, but individual values will be protected from being altered. Microsoft Office will also ensure that the change in file formats don’t affect the print quality of the file. So it should look identical to the original Excel file.

How To Print an Excel Spreadsheet on Paper

Excel gives you full control over how your spreadsheet appears on paper. Before printing, it helps to check the layout, margins, and scaling so the final pages look clean and easy to read.

Check Page Setup

1. Open your Excel file.
2. Go to “File” and choose “Print” or press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac).
3. Look at the print preview to see how many pages Excel will create.

Set the Print Area

4. Highlight the cells you want to print.
5. Go to “Page Layout” and choose “Print Area,” then select “Set Print Area.”
6. Open “File” and choose “Print” again to confirm that the preview has updated.

Adjust Margins and Orientation

7. Go to “Page Layout.”
8. Choose “Margins” and pick a preset or define custom margins.
9. Select “Portrait” or “Landscape” based on how your data is arranged.

Fit Your Sheet on One Page

10. Open “File”, then choose “Print”.
11. Under “Scaling,” choose “Fit Sheet on One Page” or “Fit All Columns on One Page.”
12. Use this when wide tables spill onto extra pages.

Choose Paper Size and Print

13. In “File,” select “Print” and choose your printer.
14. Pick the correct “Paper Size” (A4, Letter, etc.).
15. When the preview looks right, select “Print.”

Real Situations Where Excel-to-PDF Helps

Turning an Excel file into a PDF is useful for everyday work. For example:

• Sending a sales or budget report to a manager where the layout must stay fixed
• Sharing invoices or statements where formulas shouldn’t be visible
• Submitting forms or schedules to a bank, school, or government office that won’t accept Excel files
• Preparing a meeting pack where everyone should see the same formatting, page breaks, and charts
• Creating a non-editable copy of a quote or estimate for customers

PDF remains one of the easiest file formats to share. It opens on almost any device, doesn’t need special software, and usually takes up less space than a spreadsheet. Because the format is universal, you don’t have to worry about whether someone on another system can view your Excel file.

Excel to PDF Converter: Fast, Secure, and High-Quality with Smallpdf

Smallpdf makes it easy to turn an Excel spreadsheet into a clean, shareable PDF. Your tables, charts, colors, and layout stay exactly as they appear in Excel, without needing a desktop app or a paid Office license.

Here’s why many people choose Smallpdf for Excel-to-PDF work:

• Instant conversion in your browser, with no account needed—just upload and convert right away
• Works across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android
• Same conversion quality you’d get from Office, even if Excel isn’t available on your device
• Files stay protected with TLS encryption and automatic deletion after an hour of processing
• Access to 30+ other tools if you need to merge, compress, sign, or edit your new PDF.

All your formatting carries over when converting Excel to PDF. Both Microsoft Office and our online converter follow the settings in your spreadsheet so the content transfers exactly as it is. If your workbook is set to landscape, the PDF will match it. If you’ve used specific fonts, colors, tables, or graphs, they’ll appear the same in the PDF. You get a read-only version of the same layout.

Smallpdf runs in any browser on Mac, Windows, or Linux, and you can use the Smallpdf Mobile App to convert and manage files on the go. After creating your PDF, you can keep working in tools like Compress PDF, Merge PDF, Sign PDF, or convert it to Word, PowerPoint or JPG

Try Smallpdf Pro with a 7-day free trial.

FAQs: How To Print Excel to PDF Format

Why does my Excel file look different after converting to PDF?

This usually happens when your print settings aren’t configured before exporting. Check your margins, scaling, orientation, and print area in Excel before converting. Both Excel and Smallpdf follow these settings when creating the PDF.

How do I keep my Excel spreadsheet on one page when printing to PDF?

When printing, open the “Scaling” dropdown and choose Fit Sheet on One Page or Fit All Columns on One Page. This prevents wide tables from spilling onto extra pages in the final PDF.

Can I convert only one sheet of my workbook to PDF?

Yes. In Excel, select the sheet you want, go to “File” > “Print,” and choose Print Active Sheets. If you’re using Smallpdf online, upload a file that contains only the sheet you want to export (you can duplicate and delete sheets quickly inside Excel before converting).

Do hyperlinks work after converting Excel to PDF?

Yes. Both Excel’s built-in export and the Smallpdf Excel to PDF converter preserve clickable links—including URLs, mailto links, and internal sheet references—whenever possible.

Is it safe to upload my Excel file to Smallpdf?

Yes. All files are transferred with TLS encryption and are automatically deleted after 60 minutes of processing. Smallpdf is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and GDPR compliant, so your data remains secure.

Can I convert an Excel file to PDF if I don’t have Microsoft Excel installed?

Absolutely. Use the free Excel to PDF tool on Smallpdf. Just upload your spreadsheet, and the converter will create a clean, share-ready PDF—no Office installation required.