The Zoom Slider
The slider at the bottom right makes the sheet bigger or smaller on screen without changing anything in the file.
Screen Size, Not Data Size
Zoom changes only what your eyes see. Cell values, print size and column widths are all untouched. Zoom out to see the shape of your data, in to read the detail.
- Drag the slider — Or click plus and minus
- Or Ctrl + scroll — With the mouse wheel
- Nothing changes — Only your view
How to do it
Bottom right slider · the + and - buttons · Ctrl + mouse wheel
Click the zoom percentage itself to open a dialog and type an exact figure.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| The slider | Drag for quick zoom |
| + and - buttons | 10% at a time |
| Ctrl + wheel | Fastest with a mouse |
| The percentage | Click for an exact value |
Zoom Levels Worth Knowing
Ctrl + mouse wheel · or click the % figure and type a value
| Zoom | Good for |
|---|---|
| 100% | Normal working |
| 70 to 80% | Seeing more rows on a laptop |
| 40% | The overall shape of a big sheet |
| 150%+ | Reading small print or presenting |
| Fit selection | Filling the screen with one range |
Result: Ctrl + wheel
Zoom is per worksheet and it is saved with the file, so set it before you send the file on.
Do this
- Use Ctrl + scroll for quick zoom
- Zoom out to see the shape of a big sheet
- Set a sensible zoom before sharing a file
Avoid
- Thinking zoom changes the printed size
- Sending a file zoomed to 200%
- Zooming when you actually wanted to resize columns
📌 Zoom is saved with each worksheet, so different sheets in one file can open at different zoom levels.
Practice
- Zoom with Ctrl + mouse wheel.
- Type an exact percentage into the zoom dialog.
- Set two sheets to different zoom levels and save.
Quick quiz: You zoom to 150% then print. What size is the printed output?
- 150% larger
- Exactly the same as before — zoom is screen only
- It depends on the printer
Show answer
Screen zoom ≠ print scaling. Print size lives on Page Layout. — Zoom is for your eyes. Print scaling is on the Page Layout tab.
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