Excel to PDF: Convert Spreadsheets to PDF

Turn Excel worksheets into PDF pages. Pick the sheets, page size and orientation, fit columns to the page width or the whole sheet onto one page, and repeat header rows on long sheets. Cell formats, merged cells, fills and borders are kept.

Drag & drop a XLSX file here

or choose a file from your device

XLSX

Overview

What is Excel to PDF?

Excel to PDF prints worksheets from an .xlsx file onto PDF pages. You choose which sheets to include and how the grid should fit the page, and the tool works out where each page break goes.

Spreadsheets are usually wider or longer than one page. That is where most "save as PDF" attempts go wrong: columns get cut off, or a 2,000-row ledger turns into pages with no headers. This tool lets you fit all the columns to the page width or squeeze a sheet onto one page. It switches to landscape when the columns need it, and repeats the top rows on every page so long tables stay readable.

How it works

How to convert Excel to PDF

  1. Choose the .xlsx file

    Visible sheets with content are selected for you, and hidden sheets are left out.

  2. Pick sheets

    Tick the sheets you want. The row and column count of each one is shown.

  3. Set up the page

    Page size, orientation, scaling, repeated header rows and gridlines.

  4. Preview and download

    Convert again after changing settings, check the pages, and download.

Examples

Examples: choosing a scaling option

SheetSettingResult
6-column price list, 40 rowsActual size, auto orientation1 portrait A4 page at 100%
10-column ledger, 180 rowsFit columns, header rows 1Landscape pages, all 10 columns, header on every page
Same ledgerOne page1 page at about 30%, too small to read on paper
25-column planning gridActual sizePages run down first, then across to the next block of columns

What is kept

Values, formats and cell styling

Each cell shows what Excel showed. Number formats such as #,##0.00, percentages, currency symbols and dates are applied to the stored value. Text such as 00421 stays exactly as typed.

Bold, italic and font size, font and fill colours, horizontal and vertical alignment, wrapped text, borders, merged cells, hidden rows and columns, and column widths are all used. A number too wide for its column becomes ###, just as it does in Excel, rather than being cut off.

Cell value
1140
Number format
#,##0.00
In the PDF
1,140.00

Use cases

Use cases

Invoices and quotes

Send a customer a PDF of a quote built in Excel, without exposing formulas or other sheets.

Quote sheet onlyquote.pdf

Monthly reports

Archive a long transaction sheet with the column headers on every page.

180 rows5 pages + headers

Timesheets and rotas

Wide weekly grids fit on one landscape page for printing and pinning up.

14 columnslandscape, fit

Page breaks

How long and wide sheets are split into pages

Pages are filled in the same order Excel uses by default: down first, then across. The first page holds the top-left block of cells. The next pages continue down the same columns until the last row. Only then does the next block of columns start, again from the top.

Rows are never split across pages. If a tall wrapped-text row does not fit at the bottom, it moves to the next page. With "Repeat top rows" set, the header rows are drawn again at the top of every continuation page, and the space they take is allowed for when the page break is chosen. Each page footer shows the sheet name and page number, so loose printouts can be put back in order.

Tips

Tips

  • Open and save the workbook in Excel once before converting, so formula results are up to date.
  • Use "Fit columns" for most sheets. Keep "One page" for small summaries.
  • Set "Repeat top rows" to 2 or 3 if the headers span several rows.
  • Narrow very wide text columns in Excel first if the scaled text is too small.

Limitations

Limitations

Formulas are not recalculated

The PDF shows the results Excel saved in the file. A workbook made by a script that never opened in Excel may have no saved results.

Charts and images

Charts, pictures, shapes and sparklines are not drawn. The sheet list warns when a sheet contains images.

Excel print settings

Print areas, custom page breaks, print titles and headers or footers set in Excel are not read. Use the controls here instead.

Fonts and .xls

Text uses Liberation Sans. Older .xls files need to be saved as .xlsx first.

Privacy

Privacy

The workbook is read and the PDF is drawn in your browser. Spreadsheets often hold salaries, prices or customer lists, and none of it is uploaded to TryFormatter.

Related tools

Related tools

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fit all columns of a wide spreadsheet on the page?

Choose "Fit columns" scaling. Leave orientation on Auto and wide sheets switch to landscape. Text is scaled down only as much as needed, and long sheets still continue onto more pages.

Why do some formula cells come out blank?

The PDF shows the result Excel saved with the file. Workbooks generated by scripts or some online tools may never have been calculated. Open the file in Excel, LibreOffice or Google Sheets, save it, and convert again.

Can I convert only one sheet?

Yes. Untick the sheets you do not want. Hidden sheets are left out unless you tick them.

Are charts included in the PDF?

No. Charts and images are not drawn yet. If a chart matters, export it from Excel as an image, or print to PDF from Excel itself.

What does ### mean in my PDF?

The number is too wide for its column at the chosen scale, the same as in Excel. Widen the column in Excel, or use a smaller scale or landscape orientation.

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