Printing Excel sheets with colored cell backgrounds can use a lot of ink or toner. This happens because your printer tries to reproduce every visual element on the page. You can print your data while removing the background fill to conserve supplies. This article explains how to print without cell colors using Excel’s built-in settings.
Key Takeaways: Print Excel Without Background Colors
- Page Setup > Sheet > Black and white: Forces the printer to ignore all cell fill colors and print in grayscale.
- File > Print > Page Setup > Sheet > Draft quality: Prints a simplified version of the sheet, omitting most graphics and colors.
- Find & Select > Go To Special > Constants > Format cells: A method to select and clear all background fills from the sheet before printing.
Excel’s Print Settings for Removing Color
Excel provides specific print options designed to reduce ink use. The primary feature is the Black and white printing setting. When enabled, this tells Excel to send only monochrome data to the printer, regardless of the colors on your screen. Your printer will interpret colored cells as shades of gray. Another option is Draft quality printing, which speeds up printing by removing gridlines, most graphics, and cell shading. These settings do not permanently change your workbook. They only affect the printed output.
Steps to Configure Print Settings for Ink Saving
Use these methods to print your sheet without background colors. The first method uses the Print dialog settings.
- Open the Print menu
Go to File > Print, or press Ctrl+P. The print preview will appear on the right. - Access Page Setup
Click the Page Setup link at the bottom of the Settings section in the print menu. - Enable Black and white printing
In the Page Setup dialog, click the Sheet tab. Check the box for Black and white. Click OK. - Review and print
The print preview will update to show a grayscale version. Click Print to send the job to your printer.
Using Draft Quality Mode
Draft quality is another effective ink-saving mode. Follow the same first two steps to open Page Setup from the File > Print menu.
- Enable Draft quality
On the Sheet tab of the Page Setup dialog, check the box for Draft quality. Click OK. - Confirm the preview
The print preview will show a simpler layout without cell fills. Proceed with printing.
Common Mistakes and Limitations
Black and White Setting Has No Effect
If colors still print, your printer driver settings may override Excel. Check the printer properties dialog in the File > Print menu. Look for a color or quality setting and change it to Grayscale or Black & White.
Draft Quality Removes Gridlines and Objects
Draft quality removes more than cell colors. It also omits gridlines, borders, and most graphic objects. If you need gridlines, you must manually enable them on the Sheet tab in Page Setup by checking the Gridlines box.
Printing a Selection With Colors
If you set a print area, the Black and white setting still applies to the entire sheet. You cannot apply it to only part of a sheet. The setting is sheet-specific.
Print Method Comparison: Ink Saving Options
| Item | Black and White Printing | Draft Quality Printing |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Converts all colors to grayscale | Prints a simplified, fast draft |
| Affects cell fill colors | Yes, prints them as gray | Yes, typically omits them |
| Affects gridlines | No, prints if enabled separately | No, prints if enabled separately |
| Affects charts and images | Yes, prints in grayscale | Often omits or simplifies them |
| Print speed | Normal | Faster |
| Best for | Reviewing formatted data without color | Internal drafts and data checks |
You can now print Excel sheets without using ink on cell backgrounds. Use the Black and white setting in Page Setup for reliable grayscale output. For even faster drafts, try the Draft quality option. Remember that you can also set these options as the default for a sheet in the Page Layout tab.