Print First Row on Every Excel Page: 3 Ways
To print the first row (or column) on every page of an Excel worksheet, use the Print Titles feature on the Page Layout tab. You set the rows to repeat at the top and columns to repeat at the left, and Excel automatically prints them on each page. This works for both Windows and Mac versions of Excel, and it applies to the entire print job, not just the first page.
Why Excel Doesn’t Repeat Headers by Default
When you print a long worksheet, Excel splits it into pages based on the paper size, margins, and scaling. By default, each page is an independent slice of the grid, so the row that contains your column headers appears only on the first page. The same logic applies to columns: if your worksheet is wider than one page, the leftmost column (e.g., an ID or name column) appears only on the first horizontal page. This is not a bug—Excel assumes you will use the Print Titles feature if you want repeated labels.
How to Set Print Titles (Step-by-Step)
The Print Titles feature is the official, built-in way to repeat rows and columns. It does not change your worksheet data, only the print layout.
- Open the worksheet you want to print.
- Go to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon.
- In the Page Setup group, click Print Titles. (In older Excel versions, this is called “Print Titles� as well; in Excel for Mac, it is under the Page Layout tab too.)
- In the Page Setup dialog box, on the Sheet tab, you will see two boxes:
- Rows to repeat at top: click the collapse button and select the row(s) you want on every page (e.g., row 1).
- Columns to repeat at left: click the collapse button and select the column(s) you want on every page (e.g., column A).
- Click OK.
You can set one or both. For example, if you have a table with headers in row 1 and a product ID in column A, set both. The selected rows and columns are marked with a dotted line in the worksheet (in Page Layout view) but they are not locked or changed.
Using Page Break Preview to Verify
After setting print titles, use Page Break Preview to see exactly how the pages will break. Go to the View tab and click Page Break Preview. You will see blue dashed lines indicating page boundaries. The repeated rows and columns will appear on every page when you print, but they are not visible in the normal editing view. To see the actual printed output, use Print Preview (File > Print).
What About Print Settings in the Ribbon?
Some users look for a “Repeat Header Rows� button directly in the Print pane (File > Print). In Excel 2013 and later, there is a Page Setup link at the bottom of the Print settings that opens the same dialog box. On the Print screen, click Page Setup (bottom left), then go to the Sheet tab. This is a shortcut to the same Print Titles dialog. It is not a separate feature—it is the same one.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Selecting the entire row instead of just the header row: When you click the collapse button, you can click on row 1 in the worksheet. Excel will enter “$1:$1� automatically. Do not type “A1� or “1:1� manually unless you are sure.
- Setting print titles but not seeing them in the worksheet: Print titles only appear in Print Preview and on the printed page, not in Normal view. Use Page Break Preview to see the page breaks, but the repeated rows/columns are not shown there either—they are only in the printout.
- Using Freeze Panes instead: Freeze Panes locks rows/columns on screen for scrolling, but it does not affect printing. You must use Print Titles for print repetition.
- Forgetting to clear the print area: If you have a defined print area, the print titles will only apply to that area. If you want the whole sheet, remove the print area (Page Layout > Print Area > Clear Print Area).
How to Repeat Only the First Column (or a Few Columns)
To repeat the first column on every page, follow the same steps but set only the Columns to repeat at left box. For example, if you want column A to appear on every horizontal page, click the collapse button next to that box and select column A. You can select multiple adjacent columns (e.g., A:B) if you need more than one. The same logic applies to rows: you can repeat rows 1-2 if your header spans two rows.
Print Titles in Excel for Mac and Excel Online
Excel for Mac has the same Print Titles feature under the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group. Excel Online (the free web version) has a more limited interface: you can set print titles by going to File > Print > Page Setup and then the Sheet tab, but the feature may be hidden behind a “Show settings� link. In Excel Online, the option is available but not as prominent. For the desktop versions, the steps are identical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does setting print titles change my data?
No. Print titles are purely a print setting. They do not alter the worksheet, move cells, or affect formulas. They only define which rows/columns are repeated on each printed page.
Can I repeat a row that is not row 1?
Yes. You can set any row (or multiple rows) to repeat at the top. For example, if your headers are in row 3, set “Rows to repeat at top� to $3:$3. The same applies to columns—any column can be repeated at the left.
Why do my print titles disappear when I print to PDF?
Print titles are applied at print time. If you print to a PDF using Excel’s own “Save as PDF� or the print dialog, the titles should appear. If you use a third-party PDF printer, it usually respects the print settings. However, if you use “Save As� and choose PDF directly (not via Print), Excel may not apply print titles because it is not a print operation. Use File > Print and choose “Microsoft Print to PDF� to ensure titles are included.
Can I repeat rows and columns at the same time?
Yes. In the Page Setup dialog, you can fill both the “Rows to repeat at top� and “Columns to repeat at left� boxes. This is common for tables that are both long and wide.
What if I want to repeat only on certain pages?
Excel does not allow per-page print titles. The setting applies to all pages of the print job. If you need different headers on different pages, you would have to split the data into separate sheets or use manual page breaks and copy the headers manually—but that is not a built-in feature.
Does this work in Google Sheets?
Yes, Google Sheets has a similar feature: File > Print > Headers & Footers and then check “Repeat row headers� or “Repeat column headers�. It works similarly but is located in a different menu.
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