Working with Page Preview
Before we get too far along in our discussion of printing Calc spreadsheets, we need to talk about the Page Preview feature. This tool allows you to view the current page layout of your spreadsheet, as it would appear on printed pages.
Other than actually printing the spreadsheet, Page Preview is the only way you can get the “big picture” of how your spreadsheet will look, including how headers and footers will look on the pages, and how charts and other elements will be aligned on the page. You will need to use Page Preview as you work through the other sections of this chapter to determine how each of the features we discuss (such as margins, headers, and footers) will affect the overall look of your printed pages.
To Use Page Preview
Page Preview is easy to use and provides you with a small toolbar of tools that allows you to navigate your spreadsheet pages. However, there is no facility to actually edit the spreadsheet while you are in Page Preview (there is, however, in Page Break Preview, which we will discuss later in the chapter). You can't even add page breaks or choose a new print range.
You can, however, access the Page Format dialog box, which allows you to change certain attributes related to the overall page layout (such as margins, headers, and footers). We will discuss page formatting later in this chapter.
1. |
Select the File menu, then select Page Preview. The Page Preview window opens (see Figure 12.1). Figure 12.1. The Page Preview window allows you to view your spreadsheet pages as they will print.
|
2. |
To move forward a page, click the Next Page button; to move back a page, click the Previous Page button. |
3. |
To move to the last page, click the Last Page button; to move to the first page, click the First Page button. |
To Zoom in Page Preview
You can also zoom in and out on the pages you are previewing in Page Preview, and you can make the entire screen available for the preview.
1. |
Click the Zoom In button to increase the magnification used on the current page (see Figure 12.2). Click the Zoom In button until you reach the appropriate zoom level. Figure 12.2. You can zoom in on the page shown in the Page Preview window.
|
2. |
To zoom out, click the Zoom Out button. Click the button until you reach the appropriate zoom level. |
3. |
To view the page using the entire screen, click the Full Screen button. The entire screen will be used to display the page. |
4. |
To return to the normal Page Preview view, click the Full Screen button at the upper left corner of the screen. |
5. |
When you have finished working in Page Preview, click the Close button for the window. |
Note
You can also open the Page Format dialog box from inside the Page Preview window. Click the Page Format tool on the Page Preview toolbar. We will discuss the various tabs on this dialog box in the section “Working with Page Formatting.”