XL: Row Height Changes When Printing to a Different Printer

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.x, 4.x, 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.x, 4.x, 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you print a worksheet to one printer, such as an Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet III, the height of the rows on the printout may be different than they are when you print the same worksheet to a different printer, such as an Apple LaserWriter II NT.

For example, if you format a row on your worksheet for a row height of 20, the height of this row on the printout from one printer may be slightly larger or smaller than the height of this row on the printout from a different printer.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because Microsoft Excel uses the ratio of the height of the Normal style screen font to the height of the font that is printed and applies this ratio to the row height on the printout. For example, when you print a worksheet with a row height of 20, the value "20" is multiplied by this ratio to determine the printed row height. Because different printers use different fonts, this ratio depends on the printer you use. This causes the same worksheet to be printed with a slightly different row height on one printer than on a different printer.

Note that row height in Microsoft Excel is measured in points (one point equals approximately 1/72 inch).