Excel files may benefit from preliminary attention prior to uploading.

Excel files open in the Excel Online viewer by default. This viewer shows all tabs and material in an Excel file regardless of print parameter settings.

Hidden tabs do not appear in the Excel Online viewer, but can be accessed if download permissions are granted. If you wish to hide information in an Excel file view, best practice is to convert the Excel file to PDF prior to loading it to your project. The file will then open in the standard secure document viewer by default. Files processed for viewing in the standard viewer are displayed based on print parameters. Performing a 'print preview' of a file will give you an accurate depiction of how that file will appear in the viewer.

Excel files processed to be displayed in a standard-sized page viewer can contain unwanted characteristics, like blank pages or 'floating' columns. Setting page and print parameters helps eliminate an undesirable display.

Use any of the options below to change how your Excel file appears in the Secure Viewer.


Display specific information from a worksheet and not the entire contents:

  1   Highlight the required cells.

  2   Go to Page Layout > Print Area.

  3   Select Set Print Area.


Display certain rows at the top of each page:

  1   Go to Page Layout > Print Titles.

  2   Click in the Rows to repeat at top field.

  3   Select the required rows on the worksheet.

Also use this technique to repeat columns on the left.


Display row and column headers (row 1, column A):

  1   Go to Page Layout > Print Titles.

  2   Select the Sheet tab.

  3   Tick the Row and column headings checkbox.


Set page breaks:

  1   Select View > Page Break Preview.

  2   Drag and drop page break lines to the desired position.


Display the entire worksheet on one page:

  1   Go to Page Layout > Print Titles.

  2   Select the Page tab.

  3   Tick the Fit to 1 page(s) wide by 1 tall check box.


Display the worksheet as one page wide but as many tall as required:

  1   Go to Page Layout > Print Titles.

  2   Select the Page tab.

  3   Tick the Fit to 1 page(s) wide by 1 tall check box.

  4   Delete the '1' in the tall field and leave the field blank.

Also, use this technique to set specific pages wide and tall as needed.


Identifying and removing unsupported features:

  1   Go to File > Info > Check for issues > Inspect

  2   Scroll through the list and press 'Remove all' next to each identified unsupported feature.