Gridlines make numbers easier to track across rows and columns

Gridlines are the light gray lines that separate cells in Excel. By default, Excel shows them on your screen while you work, but they do not print unless you turn them on. Adding visible gridlines — either for printing or to make your spreadsheet easier to read on screen — takes one or two clicks depending on what you need.

Most people want gridlines for one of two reasons: they are missing from the screen and the spreadsheet is hard to read, or they want gridlines to appear when they print the document. The steps are different for each situation, and Excel keeps these settings in separate places.

Key Takeaways

  • Excel shows gridlines on screen by default, but you can turn them back on through the View tab if they disappear.
  • Gridlines do not print unless you enable them in the Page Layout tab under Print Options.
  • You can show gridlines for the entire sheet or hide them in specific areas by selecting cells and adjusting the border settings.
  • Printing gridlines requires you to check the "Print" box next to Gridlines in Page Layout, not the View settings.

Turning gridlines back on if they disappeared from your screen

If your spreadsheet looks blank or the cells are hard to see, gridlines are probably hidden. Open the View tab at the top of Excel. In the Show group, you will see a checkbox next to "Gridlines." Click it to turn gridlines back on. The lines should appear when ready.

This setting only affects what you see on your screen — it does not change whether gridlines print. If you close the file and reopen it, this setting stays the way you left it.

Making gridlines print on your document

To make gridlines appear when you print or save as PDF, you need to change a different setting. Click the Page Layout tab. In the Sheet Options group on the left side, find the row labeled "Gridlines." You will see two checkboxes: one under "View" and one under "Print."

Check the box under "Print" next to Gridlines. Now when you print the spreadsheet or export it as a PDF, the gridlines will show up. The View checkbox controls what you see on screen; the Print checkbox controls what comes out of the printer or PDF.

If you want gridlines both on screen and in print, check both boxes. If you want them only in print (so your screen looks cleaner while you work), check only the Print box.

Adding borders to specific cells instead of gridlines

Sometimes you do not want gridlines everywhere — you only want them around certain data. In that case, use borders instead. Select the cells where you want lines to appear. Right-click and choose "Format Cells," or press Ctrl+1 on Windows or Command+1 on Mac.

Go to the Border tab. You can choose to add lines around the outside of your selection, inside the selection, or both. Pick the style you want and click OK. Borders print by default and give you more control over where lines appear than the gridline setting does.

Borders are useful when you have a table of data you want to stand out, or when you want lines only around headers or totals. They also look more polished in printed reports than gridlines do.

Removing gridlines if they are distracting

If gridlines make your spreadsheet harder to read — for example, if you have a lot of colored cells and the lines create visual clutter — you can hide them. Go to the View tab and uncheck the Gridlines box. The cells will still work the same way; you just will not see the lines.

You can also hide gridlines for printing while keeping them on screen. Go to Page Layout, find the Gridlines row in Sheet Options, and uncheck the Print box. This is useful if you want to see the structure while you work but want a cleaner look when you print.

Gridlines in different versions of Excel

The steps above work in Excel 2016 and later on both Windows and Mac. If you use Excel Online (the free version in your web browser), the gridlines are always on and you cannot turn them off — but you can still add borders to specific cells.

In older versions of Excel (2010 and earlier), the View and Page Layout tabs are in the same place, but the exact wording of the options may differ slightly. Look for "Gridlines" in the View section and "Print Gridlines" or "Print" under Sheet Options in Page Layout.

Why gridlines matter for readability

Gridlines help your eye track numbers across long rows. Without them, it is straightforward to read a number in the wrong column, especially in spreadsheets with many columns or rows. They are particularly useful in financial reports, schedules, and any data table where accuracy matters.

For documents you share with others, gridlines also signal that the spreadsheet is a working tool, not a finished report. If you are creating a polished document to print or share as PDF, borders on key data often look more professional than gridlines across the whole sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my gridlines disappear?

Gridlines hide when someone (or a macro) unchecks the Gridlines box in the View tab. They may also be hidden if you are in Page Break Preview mode. Go to View, check Gridlines, and switch back to Normal view if needed.

Do gridlines print automatically?

No. Gridlines show on your screen by default, but they do not print unless you check the Print box next to Gridlines in the Page Layout tab under Sheet Options. This confuses many people because the View setting and Print setting are separate.

Can I print gridlines for only part of my spreadsheet?

The Print Gridlines setting applies to the whole sheet. If you want gridlines around only certain data, select those cells, right-click, choose Format Cells, go to the Border tab, and add borders manually. Borders give you cell-by-cell control.

What is the difference between gridlines and borders?

Gridlines are a display setting that shows or hides the default grid. Borders are lines you add to specific cells and can be customized by style, color, and thickness. Borders always print; gridlines only print if you enable that setting.

Can I change the color of gridlines?

The gridline color is fixed to light gray and cannot be changed in standard Excel. If you need colored lines, use borders instead — right-click cells, choose Format Cells, go to Border, and pick your color and style.