Before you submit a spreadsheet task, check two things: what will print, and what the totals include. A print area that is too small drops data from the page, and a hidden row can make visible numbers disagree with the total.
This lesson completes the route through the module on spreadsheet modelling and charts, after testing with boundary inputs.
Why can the printout differ from the screen?
The screen shows the sheet. The printout shows only the print area, cut into pages of a chosen size and orientation. A column that is just too wide can end up alone on a second page.
Hidden rows and columns do not print. They still exist, and formulas can still use them. So the page can look complete while a calculation includes data nobody can see.
How to check, step by step
- Set the print area to cover every row and column you want to show.
- Open print preview and move through every page.
- Fix the page layout: orientation, scaling to fit the width, and repeated heading rows.
- Unhide everything (or list what is hidden) and check that you meant to hide it.
- Compare each total with a hand sum of the visible rows.
- Show formulas if the task asks for evidence, and print that view as well.
Worked example
An invented list has these values in B2:B6: 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50.
Total with everything visible: =SUM(B2:B6) = 10 + 20 + 30 + 40 + 50 = 150.
Now row 4 (value 30) is hidden. The visible rows show 10, 20, 40 and 50.
- =SUM(B2:B6) still gives 150, because SUM includes the hidden row.
- A subtotal that ignores manually hidden rows, such as =SUBTOTAL(109,B2:B6), gives 10 + 20 + 40 + 50 = 120.
The reader who adds up the visible numbers gets 120, so a printed total of 150 looks wrong.
Print area check: the table runs from A1 to D15, but the print area was set to A1:D12. Print preview shows the last three rows missing. Resetting the print area to A1:D15 fixes it.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is to trust the screen.
Mistaken approach: hide row 4 to make the page tidier, then submit with =SUM(B2:B6).
The printout shows four numbers and a total of 150. A marker adds them up, gets 120 and sees an error.
The correction depends on the task. Either unhide the row so total and rows agree, or use a function that ignores hidden rows and label it clearly. Never leave a total that does not match what a reader can see without saying why.
Check yourself
1. Values in B2:B5 are 5, 15, 25 and 35. Row 3 is hidden. What does =SUM(B2:B5) give, and what does a total that ignores hidden rows give?
Show answer
SUM gives 5 + 15 + 25 + 35 = 80. Ignoring the hidden row (15) gives 5 + 25 + 35 = 65.
2. A table fills A1:F20 but only A1:D20 prints. What is the most likely cause, and what do you do?
Show answer
The print area is set too small (or the page cuts the columns off). Reset the print area to A1:F20 and use print preview to confirm, scaling to fit the width if needed.
3. Name three things to look at in print preview.
Show answer
Any three of: cut-off columns, a table split across pages, missing repeated headings, wrong orientation, text too small, errors showing instead of results.
Where this leads next
You now have the full set of habits for the module. Try them together in the mixed practice set, and use the ICT practical task and evidence checker as a final checklist before you hand a task in.
A last-minute check is easy to skip when time is short. A teacher in online one-to-one ICT tuition can help you turn these checks into a routine that takes only a few minutes.