Most of the time, the stock headers and footers available on Excels Header buttons and Footer buttons drop-down menus are sufficient for your report-printing needs.

Occasionally, however, you may want to insert information not available in these list boxes or in an arrangement that Excel doesnt offer in the ready-made headers and footers.

These command buttons enable you to blend your own information with that generated by Excel into different sections of the custom header or footer youre creating.

These codes are replaced by the actual information (filename, worksheet name, graphic image, and the like) as soon as you click another section of the header or footer or finish the header or footer by clicking the mouse pointer outside of it.

For example, to have Excel display Page 1 of 4 in a custom header or footer, you do the following.

This inserts Page Page of Pages in the custom header (or footer).

Simply click the Different First Page check box to put a check mark in it.

This check box is part of the Options group of the Design tab on the Header Footer Tools contextual tab that appears when youre defining or editing a header or footer in Page Layout view.).

For example, suppose that you have a report that needs the current page number and total pages centered at the bottom of all pages except the cover page.

To do this, select the Different First Page check box on the Design tab of the Header Footer Tools contextual tab on the Ribbon.

Then define a centered Auto Footer that displays the current page number and total pages (Page 1 of ) on the second page of the report, leaving the Click to Add Footer text intact on the first page.

For example, if your report has six pages (including the cover page), the second page footer will read Page 2 of 6; the third page, Page 3 of 6; and so on, even if the first printed page has no footer.

That way, the header or footer information (such as the report name or current page) alternates between being right-aligned on the odd pages (printed on the front side of the page) and being left-aligned on the even pages (printed on the back of the page).

He is the author of numerous For Dummies books, including all editions of Excel All-in-One For Dummies, Excel Workbook For Dummies, and Excel For Dummies.

He has worked as an independent trainer and as an instructor at Golden Gate University.

Insert A Page Header In Excel For Mac