Excel 2013 uses page breaks to decide where a worksheet is divided when printed. You can insert a manual page break when you want a particular row or column to begin on a new printed page instead of relying entirely on Excel’s automatic pagination.
Insert a horizontal page break
- Open the worksheet in Excel 2013.
- Select the row immediately below where the new printed page should begin.
- Open the Page Layout tab.
- Select Breaks.
- Choose Insert Page Break.
Insert a vertical page break
Select the column immediately to the right of where you want the new page to start, then use Page Layout > Breaks > Insert Page Break. Excel places the manual break before the selected column.
Preview the result before printing
Use Print Preview or Page Break Preview to see how the worksheet will be divided. A page break that looks sensible in Normal view can still produce awkward pages when margins, scaling, orientation, or paper size are considered.
Remove a manual break
Select the row below a horizontal break or the column to the right of a vertical break, then use Page Layout > Breaks > Remove Page Break. Reset All Page Breaks removes manual breaks throughout the worksheet.
Scaling can affect pagination
Fit-to-page settings can override the practical result you expected from manual breaks. Review width, height, print area, margins, and orientation when pages still do not divide correctly.
Office 2013 reached end of support in April 2023. Excel 2013 still supports manual page breaks, but a supported Microsoft 365 or Office release is preferable for ongoing work, especially with files from untrusted sources.
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.
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