The View Buttons
Three small buttons at the bottom right switch between Normal, Page Layout and Page Break Preview.
Three Ways to Look at One Sheet
The same data can be shown three ways: as a plain grid, as printed pages, or as a map of where the page breaks fall.
- Normal — The everyday grid
- Page Layout — Shows printed pages
- Page Break Preview — Shows where pages split
How to do it
Bottom right, left of the zoom slider: Normal · Page Layout · Page Break Preview
The same three views are on the View tab, in the Workbook Views group, with their names spelled out.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Normal | Grid only, fastest |
| Page Layout | Margins, headers, page edges |
| Page Break Preview | Blue lines show page splits |
| View tab | The same three, named |
Which View for Which Job
Bottom right ▸ three small icons beside the zoom slider
| View | Shows | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Just the grid | Building and entering data |
| Page Layout | Pages, margins, headers | Setting up headers |
| Page Break Preview | Blue page break lines | Fixing bad page splits |
Result: 3 views
Page Layout is the easiest place to add a header. Page Break Preview is the easiest place to fix splits.
Do this
- Use Page Layout to edit headers and footers
- Use Page Break Preview to fix bad splits
- Return to Normal for everyday work
Avoid
- Trying to add a header in Normal view
- Leaving the file in Page Break Preview
- Confusing these buttons with the zoom slider
📌 Page Layout view shows headers and footers directly, which is the easiest place to edit them.
Practice
- Switch through all three view buttons.
- Add a header in Page Layout view.
- Drag a page break in Page Break Preview.
Quick quiz: Your report splits across pages in the wrong place. Which view helps most?
- Normal
- Page Break Preview — you can drag the blue lines
- Page Layout
Show answer
Page Break Preview ▸ drag the blue lines to move the split — Page Break Preview is the only view where you can drag a page break.
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