Completely Blank Pages Are Unexpectedly Printed (277601)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Excel 2002
This article was previously published under Q277601

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you print a worksheet, pages that are completely blank may be unexpectedly printed.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur under any of the following conditions:
  • The only data on a page is in cells that are formatted in such a way that they appear blank.

    Cells that are formatted to appear blank include those with white fonts, zeroes-as-blanks settings, three semicolons (see Example 1 in the "More Information" section), and so forth.
  • A cell on the page contains an error, and errors have been selected to print as blank.
  • There are completely blank pages ahead of any pages that contain data (including the first two conditions stated here), which print as blank.
  • The worksheet contains drawing objects that are located in unexpected areas of the worksheet.

    These objects may be very small in size, formatted as white, and so forth.
NOTE: Pages that contain hidden rows or columns are not printed (if there is no other data on the page), nor are the intervening pages.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, follow these steps:
  1. On the File menu, click Print.
  2. Under Print range, select only the page or pages that you want to print.

MORE INFORMATION

The following steps must be completed for both of the following examples:
  1. Start Excel and create a new workbook.
  2. In cell A1, type Test.

Example 1: A Cell Is Formatted as Blank

  1. In cell M85, type Test, and then press ENTER.
  2. Select cell M85.
  3. On the Format menu, click Cells.
  4. On the Number tab, under Category, click Custom.
  5. In the Type box, remove the selection (press the BACKSPACE key to erase the selection), and then type ;;; (three semicolons).
  6. Click OK.

    Cell M85 is hidden.
  7. On the File menu, click Print Preview.

    Note that not only does page 1 contain data, but it is followed by three blank pages: the page with the hidden cell and the intervening pages.

Example 2: Errors Are Set to Print Blank

  1. In cell M85, type the following formula:

    =1/0

    You receive a divide-by-zero error message.
  2. On the File menu, click Page Setup.
  3. On the Sheet tab, under Print, in the Cell error as box, select <blank>.
  4. Click Print Preview.

    Note that not only does page 1 contain data, but it is followed by three blank pages.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/22/2003
Keywords:kbpending kbprb KB277601
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