excel's stupid!

ok small problem...
and before i explain it I cannot HIDE columns for this requirement because MS restricts you to a certain number of columns to hide. So I cannot accept the answer "hide those columns". What I need to do is select specific columns to print. So I do that while holding down the ctrl key. Then I select File->Set Print Area.

Now that works fine...but when I preview it each section that I want printed gets placed on a new page!!! I dont want that...I want excel to fit as much of those sections on a single page. I cant find any option that allows for that.

Surely there has to be a way....


Jon
:rolleyes:

how about setting the column widths to 0?

there a lot of print options

print to fit
print scale
and changing orientation
But I'm sure you tried all those didn't you

Anna

where? are those options and will it help my problem?

Quote:

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Originally posted by si_the_geek
how about setting the column widths to 0?

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This does not work if you have maxed out the hide or setting the width to 0 on a lot of columns. MS limits the number of columns you can hide or change the width to 0 of....that is exactly my problem.

Jon

in page setup

Quote:

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Originally posted by adocwra
in page setup

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I tried all that...none of it allows you to put your print areas on one page.

Try it out...

Type up something in various columns. Then select columns A, C, and E for instance. Goto File->Set Print Area for just these columns. You will see that it puts each section on one page. I want excel to put them all on the same page.

Jon

Quote:

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Originally posted by adocwra
in page setup

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I take it this is not possible...
Unbelievable MS.

sorry i had to go prom dress shopping
how many cols are you hiding that you get this problem?

work around unless u have a massive area u cant do this
what i did was ctrl select and set print area then in view page break preview moved the selections together then reset the print area

i also changed orientation

Quote:

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Originally posted by adocwra
work around unless u have a massive area u cant do this
what i did was ctrl select and set print area then in view page break preview moved the selections together then reset the print area

i also changed orientation

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moving the selections does not keep it on one page though...I highlighted 3 different columns all of which want to print on different sheets...

Quote:

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Originally posted by adocwra
work around unless u have a massive area u cant do this
what i did was ctrl select and set print area then in view page break preview moved the selections together then reset the print area

i also changed orientation

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BTW this approach still does not work since MS limits the number of columns you can move to the right (hiding them)...
So even If I turn off the set print area...I cannot shift more than x amount of columns.

there is a print fit on one page
I got it to work

view page break preview click around in it and then reset the print area

It worked for me

Quote:

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Originally posted by jhermiz
BTW this approach still does not work since MS limits the number of columns you can move to the right (hiding them)...
So even If I turn off the set print area...I cannot shift more than x amount of columns.

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I cannot believe for the life of me there is no button which says...do not seperate all sections into different pages...that is just WRONG....

MS Office is just way too limited with its capabilities of surprassing number of rows, columns, making things hide..etc..too much bad coding.

yes yhats why they added the view page print area i guess

i mean the page break preview

Quote:

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Originally posted by adocwra
there is a print fit on one page
I got it to work

view page break preview click around in it and then reset the print area

It worked for me

---

Huh can we go offline for a while anna?

Email me ...
[email protected]

if you have AOL or Yahoo messenger even better
gimme your ID...

Got to get this to work..

Thanks,

Jon

I understand this...but you can only HIDE so many columns...
i think you are doing this with something very small...
im hiding a ton of columns and MS comes up with a message saying a column canont be shifted after you've reached the max...

i've tried to get that error and I cant get it??
what version of excel are you using?

I sent you an email

Quote:

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Originally posted by adocwra
i've tried to get that error and I cant get it??
what version of excel are you using?

I sent you an email

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I sent you an email...
with an excel attachment...
youll see your just not hiding enough columns.

version 2k

office

I am running Office 2003 and I can hide every cell on the spreadsheet.

I assume that you can describe with a range formula or six what you want printed?

Why not Create new sheet and use formulas to display the values you require all next to each other?

There is a way to do this but it's more a workaround
than anything...

Use the camera button to take a snapshot of a column,
paste the snapshot to a new worksheet, do the same
with the rest of the colums, pasting them to the new
worksheet side-by-side.

I have done this myself several times. It's cumbersome
but it works fine.

Quote:

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Originally posted by oorik
Use the camera button to take a snapshot of a column,
paste the snapshot to a new worksheet...

...It's cumbersome but it works fine.

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much like what I said but without the automatic updates then... It is considered good working practice where I work to create "print" sheets that give the information from the who spreadsheet in one place side-by-side (as you said)

You can simply use =Sheet!MySheet!A1 and fill down and the A1 becomes A2, A3, A4 etc, better you can press '=' and click on the required cell and the system will fillout the formula for you.

oorik, is right tho' demonstraiting that there are at least 2 answers to any problem. The answer useually being if you can not do the activity you wanted perhaps another one is a better answer.

I'd take "It's cumbersome but it works fine." over a headache anyday.

BTW: jhermiz and others it is considered good form to zip and make available files here at VBforums that way everyone can follow the problem and the answer