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Excel Gridlines: Show, Hide, and Print Settings Guide

When you print a report, gridlines visible on the screen may disappear in print. In other cases, you may need a clean PDF without gridlines. This guide focuses on printing Excel gridlines, including how they differ from cell borders, screen and print settings, alternatives for color and thickness, and common troubleshooting.

Quick Fix (3 Steps)

Go to the View tab → select or clear Gridlines
Go to Page Layout → Sheet Options group → select Print under Gridlines → preview with Ctrl+P
For better readability: apply borders instead of gridlines

Gridlines vs. Borders

Item	Gridlines	Borders
Purpose	Data-entry aid	Layout/emphasis
Change color/thickness	Not available	Available
Printing	Available as an option	Printed by default
PDF readability	Low	High
Scope	Entire worksheet	Selected range

Show or Hide Gridlines on Screen

On the View tab, select or clear Gridlines. You cannot turn off gridlines for only a specific range, so use white fill with no borders as an alternative.

Print Excel Gridlines

Go to the Page Layout tab → Sheet Options group → select Print under Gridlines, then check the preview with Ctrl+P. Use borders when readability is important.

Change Color/Thickness — Workarounds

You cannot change the thickness or style of gridlines themselves.
Use thin borders instead.
Automate formatting with Conditional Formatting or Table Styles.

Effects of Fill Color, Merging, and Tables

Dark fill colors can obscure gridlines → reinforce with borders
Merged cells can disrupt print boundaries → minimize or replace them
Tables display lines differently depending on the style → adjust the style options

Practical Example

Enter sample data.
Case A: Select Print Gridlines → preview.
Case B: Apply All Borders + Thick Outside Borders → compare the previews.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Gridlines do not print	Option is not selected	Page Layout → Sheet Options → select Print under Gridlines
Gridlines look faint in a PDF	Gridline characteristics	Use borders or a high-quality PDF
Conflict with fill color	Insufficient color contrast	Add borders or lighten the fill color
Need to hide gridlines by range	Worksheet-wide option	Use white fill with no borders to create a gridline-free appearance
Page boundaries are misaligned	Merged cells/scaling conflict	Minimize merging and fit to one page

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엑셀 셀병합하는 모든 방법 (Merge & Center, Across, Unmerge, 대체기법까지)

Excel Gridlines: Show, Hide, Change Color, and Print Settings Guide