How to Print Spreadsheet Selection Only

I am using MacBook Pro and the spreadsheet application is LibreOffice.  But I expect that the process for how to print only the highlighted selection from a spreadsheet (rather than the whole spreadsheet) is pretty similar.

 

Scenario:

I have a huge spreadsheet (approx. 350×350 cells)

• I only need and want to print out selection sections as I work.
• And I also want to be able to save it as a .pdf file.
• I want to scale the output to certain number of pages or width/height.

 

(A) How to Print Preview a Selection only from Spreadsheet

Steps:

1. open the spreadsheet.  Make your selection.
2. Format >> Print Ranges >> Define
   (It will seem as if nothing has happened.  No worries.  Go immediately to the next step.)
3. File >> Print Preview

You can then print from here (File >> Print) or you might want to scale the output.

How to Scale Print Output

IMPORTANT: It is in the Print Preview that we can scale the output.

Say that your print preview shows that it will be printed over 4 pages but you want your selection to be printed in just one page.   To scale the printout,
(still in) Print Preview >> Format Page >> Sheet (tab) >> Scaling mode: {Fit pint range(s) on number of pages} >>  Number of pages: 1

Your Preview will change to reflect the formatting choices you have chosen for your printout.

Notes:

1. depending on which {option you select}, your succeeding choices will vary to reflect that choice.
2. to export to PDF (for saving and for publication), you either to close the preview and follow the steps below. Or from Print Preview >> File >> Print … (and then follow instructions in (B) below & (C) below.

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(B) How to Export a Selection from Spreadsheet to PDF

Steps:

1. open the spreadsheet.  Make your selection.
2. File >> Export as PDF…
3. In the “PDF Options” popup window >> Range = Selection >> Export >> specify name and location for your pdf output.

Note: you have various options you can modify.  The DPI option is particularly useful; a higher dpi will mean crisper output and also a smaller output (viz instead of having an output of 2 page at 150dpi, you might get an output of 1 page at 300dpi).

 

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(C) How to Export & Scale a Selection from Spreadsheet to PDF

If your pdf is going to output to 2 or more pages but you really want it to be on just one page, what would you do?  To achieve this, the steps are not the most intuitive or logical steps one would have hoped for, so please follow along.  It is simple but not-quite-intuitive ….

You would do the steps as delineated in section (A) above: viz. as if you are going to print (as above), format and scale in the preview.

Then when preview looks as desired, and still in Print Preview window,

File >> Print…  >> and the Print dialog window pops up

Now the important part is in the lower-left: click the down arrow next to the PDF options  >> Save as PDF >> specify name and location for your file.  The resultant pdf file should be exactly as you specified in the Print Preview.

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Preview app & Manipulating the PDF

Once you have your .pdf documents (from Spreadsheet & from Pages app), you can

• combine them.
  Open a pdf in Preview >> Edit >> Insert >> [Page from File … / Blank Page]
  The insert will be after the currect, active page.  (Note: the pages will not update in this combined pdf)
• want image?
  From Preview (app) >> File >> Export… >> Format = JPEG / PNG

 

 

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