Home	Excel	Access
\| Links \| Alphabetical Index \| Create HTML web pages \|

Publish a spreadsheet as a PDF file

Excel 2010 has options to publish an Excel worksheet as a PDF file or send it as an email attachment in PDF format. No additional software or Windows printer drivers are required.

The option [File] Save and Send | Create PDF/XPS document will (by default) publish the current worksheet.

MeadInKent on YouTube

A video outlining how to publish a PDF file

It is possible to publish only a certain area. Select a range of cells and choose the Create PDF option. In the Publish dialog box (above) click the [Options...] button. Choose the option for Selection and then publish.

The PDF file will inherit the current page layout / print settings. Therefore if you wish to change the PDF output to landscape/portrait or to fit it all on a single page, amend these settings by selecting: [File] Print | Settings.

Basing the PDF output on the current Print Area can make printing much easier if you repeatedly print only part of a worksheet. The Create PDF option does not inherit the Print Area range and can only be set to the currently highlighted range. Having to repeatedly select the range before creating several files may be inconvenient. A better solution is to use a macro which applies the Print Area to the PDF output.

Sub PrtPDF() ' Save the current print area as a PDF and set to fit to one page Dim MyOptions As String, MyPrtArea As String, MyFilename As String, MyFit As Variant MyPrtArea = ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintArea MyFit = ActiveSheet.PageSetup.Zoom MyOptions = UCase(InputBox("Print range " & MyPrtArea & " as Portrait or Landscape (or Cancel) P L C", "Print as PDF", "P")) If MyOptions <> "C" Then MyFilename = Application.DefaultFilePath & "\" & ActiveWorkbook.Name & ".pdf" MyFilename = InputBox("Save PDF file as ", "Print PDF", MyFilename) Range(MyPrtArea).Select If MyOptions = "P" Then ActiveSheet.PageSetup.Orientation = xlPortrait If MyOptions = "L" Then ActiveSheet.PageSetup.Orientation = xlLandscape ' The next 2 lines will force the PDF to fit the range onto one page ActiveSheet.PageSetup.FitToPagesWide = 1 ActiveSheet.PageSetup.FitToPagesTall = 1 Selection.ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF, Filename:= _ MyFilename, Quality:=xlQualityStandard, _ IncludeDocProperties:=True, IgnorePrintAreas:=False, OpenAfterPublish:= _ True Range("A1").Select ActiveSheet.PageSetup.Zoom = MyFit ' original setting for Fit to Page Debug.Print Time(), "PrtPDF"; MyFilename End If End Sub

A more flexible solution is to use a program which creates a PDF printer option. Free programs such as CutePDF can be downloaded and will install virtual printer drivers which send the Print output to a PDF file. These printer drivers will be available to all programs, not just Excel.

An alternative option is to use a VBA program which reads a list of worksheet names and adds all of the print areas to a single PDF file.

Get this information as a document
accompanied by Excel worksheets

Click here for details about obtaining this
file. It has been rewritten for Excel 2010.

file:xl_publish_pdf.htm

Page last updated: Mar15

CMIDX S5 P4 Y