Columns in Excel spreadsheet cut off on pdf

Report · May 09, 2008

I'm using Adobe Acrobat Standard 7.0.9 and Excel 2003 SP3. The last few characters on one of the columns on the spreadsheet are cut off once converted to pdf. It looks fine on the spreadsheet in the print view, etc., but it changes once converted. It even expands to add a word that is on the next line on the spreadsheet, but cuts off the last couple of characters. I've tried formatting the column to Auto Fit or to fixed width with the same result. I have the rows set to Auto Fit so that the words wrap. But even when I change that to fixed, it does the same thing.

Please help - I've got a client wanting a dozen invoices out today and I just discovered this problem!

Report · May 09, 2008

Change the printer to the Adobe PDF printer and then use the print view again. Your print view as probably for your paper printer and when you printed to a PDF, Excel reflowed the document and caused the problem.

Report · May 09, 2008

Hey Bill, thanks so much for the quick reply! But doing what you suggested only resulted in creating a pdf that had the same problem.

But in looking at some other answers, they said to check the print settings to make sure page setup of both the Excel document and Adobe was set for 600 dpi. Then I discovered that the print settings had it adjusting the scaling to 74%, even though I hadn't specified that originally. It printed hard copy too small with that, so I changed it to 100%. Of course then, I had to adjust the columns' widths.

In any case, once I did all that, it fixed the cutting off part of the column problem. However, I noticed another glitch after that - on some rows it would place an extra blank line at the end - both in Excel and on pdf. I made sure I had all rows set to Auto Fit, and still can't figure out why some rows do that and others don't. Aargg - it's always something!

If you have further wisdom, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks a bunch,
Malia

Report · May 09, 2008

What I was trying to point out was that you are likely looking at an Excel issue. I am not saying Acrobat may not be an issue, but in many cases it is an issue of either being sure that the proper printer is selected while you are checking things out (MS Office products and most similar products reflow the document for a best print out). In other cases, Acrobat gets blamed for changing things that are actually a setting in the application, not Acrobat. Look to both sides of the issue to be sure things are working correctly. Since you indicate you are seeing the same thing in Excel, that suggests an Excel issue. In general, if the print preview looks the same as the PDF, the problem is in the applications, not Acrobat. Bill

Report · May 09, 2008

That makes total sense, but I don't really care about blame - I was just trying to figure out how to fix the problem I had so I could get a dozen invoices out today for a new client. There's so much I don't understand about both Excel and Acrobat, but I thought this was a good place to start to get help. And I was right. That deal about changing the dpi to 600 on both applications seemed to be the thing that worked and I certainly don't understand that!

Oh well, the invoices are out and I still have a lot to learn...I still haven't figured out what the deal is with that blank line on some of the rows.
Thanks again, Malia

Report · May 12, 2008

Malia,
Increase the width of your columns by just a smig and the blank line should disappear. Excel is text wrapping something we can't see. This has worked for me. :^)

Report · May 12, 2008

Thanks for the tip - I have been playing around with the column width and still notice weird stuff. I do see that by adjusting a smig that it does delete the extra line in the regular worksheet view. But then when I go to Print Preview or convert to pdf, that blank line shows up on some of the rows - even though it's not in the regular view. I've made sure it's not a scaling issue on Page Setup and have checked all other settings in both Excel and Acrobat, but still can't figure it out. Why wouldn't it show me in Print Preview the same column widths, etc. that I have set up on the worksheet? Arrg!

I really appreciate all answers and suggestions...

Report · May 12, 2008

If you want to see how it will look on print out, be sure that you select the Adobe PDF printer and then go back to the edit. That will cause Excel to reflow the document so it should appear as it will print.

Report · May 14, 2008

But when I do that, it simply creates the pdf with all the screwed up lines. Am I doing it wrong?

Report · May 14, 2008

If you select the Adobe PDF printer (I did not say to print, just select), you can then preview and also see the layout in Excel of how the document will print. It is important with OFFICE products to have the printer selected as you edit a document if the layout for printing is important (this is an OFFICE feature, not Acrobat). Thus the document will flow correctly for the Adobe PDF printer. Adjust the layout in Excel until it is as you need, then print it to the Adobe PDF printer (or use PDF Maker). If you have a different printer selected as you edit and then print to the Adobe PDF printer, the output may be different than during editing (including bookmarks locations and such if PDF Maker is used).

I am just trying to explain the process so that you can layout what you want so it will print correctly to a PDF. Just as a repeat, this is an Excel issue and that is where it needs to be fixed. You should have seen the same messed up results when you select a print preview in Excel (with the Adobe PDF printer selected). That would be the key to tell you it is an Excel layout problem.

Report · May 15, 2008

prior to either printing to pdf or using the pdfmaker, go to file>page setup and lower the quality setting to 300 dpi or so. Repeat for each worksheet in the book.

Then create the pdf again.

Report · May 16, 2008

It had previously been at 600 dpi for both Excel and Adobe. I tried 300 dpi and it didn't change anything on the spreadsheet. And looking at it in print view it not only still gives me an unwanted blank line, it actually seems to change the column width - or at least the place where it wraps is different. And it still gives me the blank line.

And in print view, it stretches out to add another word to the row. This is enough to drive me nuts (or nuttier than I already am). I'm usually pretty good about figuring this stuff out, but this has me completely stumped. I'm guessing it has to do with setting the rows to auto fit, but it has to be that way beause rows have differing amounts of text in them.

Report · May 22, 2008

We have a similar issue with printing being cut off.

We use Autocad products and when we send a drawing to other people, we use the following procedure:

plot to "Adobe PDF",
customize our settings for paper size, orientation, etc., and create a PDF. In the preview, everything is great. But.......

When we print it using our large size plotter, it cuts off about 1/3 of the drawing. This is not an isolated issue. It does it every time with our PDF's as well as ones sent to us by other people.

Thanks for any help....

Report · Aug 20, 2022

The problem is that the width of the columns on your page is not enough, so not all text can't be included on the page, so you will see the text cut off when you print to PDF e.g Yellowstone Official. You can increase the width of a random column, and this problem does not exist. Beware of Scammers posting fake Support Numbers here.