How to Center a Page Horizontally in Excel

To center a page horizontally in Excel, go to the Page Layout tab and select the small arrow in the corner of the Page Setup group. On the Margins tab, check Horizontally under Center on page, then select OK. Your data now prints in the middle of the page from left to right.

Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016 on Windows, and Excel for Mac. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 10, 2026.

This setting only changes how the sheet prints or saves as a PDF. To center text inside a cell, select the cell and use Center on the Home tab instead.

Method 1: Page Setup on the Page Layout tab

1. Open the worksheet you want to print.
2. Select the Page Layout tab.
3. Select the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group.
4. Open the Margins tab.
5. Under Center on page, check Horizontally. Check Vertically too if you want it centered from top to bottom.
6. Select Print Preview to check, or OK to save the setting.

Method 2: From the Print screen

1. Select File > Print, or press Ctrl + P.
2. Select Page Setup at the bottom of the settings.
3. On the Margins tab, check Horizontally, then select OK.

The preview on the right updates right away, so this is the quickest way to see the result.

Method 3: Custom Margins

On the Page Layout tab, select Margins > Custom Margins. This opens the same Margins tab, where you can check Horizontally. In Excel for Mac, this is the easiest route.

Center vertically as well

For a small table, such as a one-page summary, check both Horizontally and Vertically. The data then sits in the exact middle of the page. For long lists that run over several pages, leave Vertically off, or the last page will have the leftover rows floating in the middle.

On a Mac

1. Select File > Page Setup, or go to Page Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
2. Open the Margins tab.
3. Under Center on page, check Horizontally and select OK.

Center several sheets at once

1. Hold Ctrl and select each sheet tab you want to change. To select them all, right-click a tab and choose Select All Sheets.
2. Follow Method 1 to check Horizontally.
3. Right-click a tab and choose Ungroup Sheets when you’re done, so later edits don’t change every sheet.

Make the page look better when centered

• Set a print area so only your data prints. Select the cells, then go to Page Layout > Print Area > Set Print Area.
• Fit the columns on one page. In Page Layout > Scale to Fit, set Width to 1 page. See how to stretch an Excel spreadsheet to fill a printed page.
• Switch to Landscape in Page Layout > Orientation for wide tables.
• Print only part of the sheet with how to print a selection in Excel.

Other print settings in the same window

• Header/Footer tab: Add page numbers, the file name, or the date to each printed page.
• Sheet tab: Choose Rows to repeat at top so your headings print on every page, and turn on gridlines if you want the cell borders to show.
• Page tab: Switch between Portrait and Landscape and set the paper size.

Keyboard users can open the Page Setup window by pressing Alt, then P, S, P, one key at a time.

If the page still isn’t centered

• The data looks off to one side: Excel centers the whole print area, including empty columns. Set a print area that covers only your data.
• Only some pages are centered: The setting applies to one sheet at a time. Check each sheet, or group them as shown above.
• The table is too wide to center: If it fills the page from margin to margin, there’s no space left to center it. Narrow the columns or scale it down.
• The setting disappears: Save the workbook after changing it. Page settings are stored with each sheet in the file.
• You can’t find Center on page: Excel for the web doesn’t have this option. Open the file in the Excel desktop app to change it.

Frequently asked questions

Does centering change my margins?

No. Excel keeps your margins and adds equal space on the left and right of your data within them.

Will the PDF be centered too?

Yes. Saving as a PDF uses the same print settings, so the data is centered in the PDF as well.

Can I make this the default for new workbooks?

Yes. Set it up in a blank workbook, then save it as a template named Book.xltx in Excel’s XLSTART folder. New workbooks then start with that setting.