Yes. To repeat rows at the top of every printed page in Excel, go to Page Layout > Print Titles, click in the Rows to repeat at top box, and enter the row, such as $1:$1 for row 1. Click OK, and that row prints at the top of each page.
This guide covers Excel for Windows and Microsoft 365 for Mac, where the steps are the same. Microsoft calls these repeated rows and columns print titles. The steps follow Microsoft’s Repeat specific rows or columns on every printed page and Print rows with column headers on top of every page articles. For Excel for the web, see the section below.
How to Repeat Rows on Every Printed Page in Excel
- Open the worksheet you want to print.
- Click the Page Layout tab.
- In the Page Setup group, click Print Titles.
- On the Sheet tab, under Print titles, click in the Rows to repeat at top box.
- Type the rows you want, such as $1:$1 for row 1 or $1:$2 for rows 1 and 2.
- Click OK.
The rows you entered print at the top of every page. Press Ctrl+P to check the preview before you print. If a short table prints in the top-left corner, you can center the worksheet on the printed page. To make that header row stand out on paper, add a thick bottom border in Excel under it.
How to Pick the Rows With Your Mouse
If you’d rather not type the reference, click the Collapse Dialog button at the right end of the Rows to repeat at top box. Select the rows on the worksheet, then click Collapse Dialog again to go back to the window. Excel fills in the reference for you.
How to Repeat Columns on Every Page
Use the Columns to repeat at left box in the same window. Microsoft says to enter the columns that hold your row labels. For example, enter $A:$A to print column A on the left side of every page. You can fill in both boxes to repeat rows and columns together.
Why Is Print Titles Grayed Out?
Microsoft lists three reasons the Print Titles button looks dimmed:
- You are still editing a cell. Press Enter or Esc first.
- A chart is selected on the sheet. Click a cell instead.
- No printer is installed on your computer.
If the button works but the Rows to repeat at top and Columns to repeat at left boxes aren’t available, more than one worksheet is selected. Click any unselected sheet tab, or right-click a selected tab and choose Ungroup Sheets.
What About Excel for the Web?
Use the desktop app. Microsoft’s print titles articles apply only to the desktop versions of Excel (Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, on Windows and Mac). In Excel for the web, choose Editing > Open in Desktop App, then follow the steps above. Print titles you set in the desktop app are saved with the file.
Print Titles vs. Row and Column Headings
Print titles repeat your own label rows, like a row of month names. Row and column headings are the numbers and letters along the edge of the sheet. Excel doesn’t print those by default. To print them, go to Page Layout and, under Headings in the Sheet Options group, check Print. Microsoft covers this in Print row and column headings.
Print titles only affect printed pages. To keep a header row visible while you scroll on screen, use freeze panes in Excel instead.
To stop people from changing the cells in a sheet you share or print, see how to lock cells in Excel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do print titles apply to every sheet in the workbook?
No. Print titles are set per worksheet. Select one sheet at a time and set them for each sheet you print, since the boxes aren’t available while several sheets are grouped.
How do I stop repeating a row?
Go back to Page Layout > Print Titles, clear the Rows to repeat at top box, and click OK.
More Excel Printing Guides
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
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