To include a title at the top of every printed page in Excel 2013, click the Page Layout tab and then Print Titles. On the Sheet tab of the Page Setup dialog, click in Rows to repeat at top, select the row (or rows) that contain your title or column headings in the worksheet (for example, $1:$1), and click OK. Excel prints those rows at the top of each page. To add a separate title that isn’t part of the sheet, put it in the page header instead.
This guide covers both methods, how to repeat columns on the left, how to check the result in Print Preview, and fixes when Print Titles is grayed out. The steps also work in Excel 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365.
Method 1: Repeat title rows with Print Titles
- Open the worksheet and click the Page Layout tab.
- In the Page Setup group, click Print Titles.
- On the Sheet tab, click in the Rows to repeat at top box.
- Click the row number of your title row in the worksheet (drag across row numbers to select several rows, such as a title row and a header row). Excel fills in a reference like $1:$2.
- Click OK.
Repeated rows only appear when printing or in Print Preview; they don’t show repeatedly on screen. To keep the top row visible while scrolling, use View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row.
Method 2: Add a title in the header
- Click Insert > Header & Footer. Excel switches to Page Layout view.
- Click the left, center, or right header section and type your title.
- Use the Design tab under Header & Footer Tools to add the sheet name, file name, date, or page numbers.
- Click any cell, then View > Normal to return to the usual view.
Or go to Page Layout > Page Setup launcher > Header/Footer > Custom Header. Header text prints on every page but isn’t part of the worksheet cells.
Repeat columns on the left
For wide sheets that print across several pages, set Columns to repeat at left on the same Sheet tab (for example, $A:$A for a name or ID column).
Check your work in Print Preview
Click File > Print (or press Ctrl + P) and use the page arrows at the bottom to confirm the title appears on each page.
Center a title across the page
If your title is in a cell, select the title cell and the cells across the width of your data, then use Home > Merge & Center, or Format Cells > Alignment > Horizontal: Center Across Selection (which avoids merging). Headers can also be centered by using the center section.
If an old footer is also printing, learn how to delete a footer in Excel 2013.
Troubleshooting
- Print Titles is grayed out – you may be editing a cell (press Esc), have multiple sheets selected (right-click a tab and choose Ungroup Sheets), or have no printer installed. Installing any printer, even Microsoft Print to PDF, enables it.
- Rows to repeat at top is grayed out – open Page Setup from the Page Layout tab, not from the Print screen.
- Title prints twice on page 1 – that’s expected if the title row is also at the top of your data. It’s the same row repeated.
- Settings didn’t carry to other sheets – Print Titles are set per worksheet. Repeat the steps for each sheet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I repeat a row that isn’t at the top of the sheet?
Yes. Choose any row, such as row 3, and it will print at the top of each page after the first.
Does this affect PDF exports?
Yes. Saving or printing to PDF includes repeated rows and headers.
How do I remove repeating rows?
Open Print Titles and clear the Rows to repeat at top box.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.