How to auto-fill the file path in the footer when printing MS Excel

Have you ever lost track of the destination folder for Excel workbooks printed on paper?

This article will show you how to automatically enter the file path in the footer when printed on paper for such occasions.

The way to do this is to create and edit a macro that fills in the footer with the file path and displays a print preview. Then place the macro’s button on the Quick Access Toolbar.

Step 1: Record a macro

In the tab View, click on Macros and select Record Macro.

Rewrite the macro name as “PathFooter,” select Personal Macro Workbook as the save destination for the macro, and click the OK button.

Click on the tab Page Layout, and click on the icon in the lower right corner of Sheet Options.

Click on the tab Header/Footer in the dialog that appears, select the file path in the sixth item from the top of the list in the Footer pull-down and click the OK button.

When the dialog closes, click on the tab File.

Select Print from the menu and click the Print button.

Make sure the file path is filled in the footer of the printout.

Click on Stop Recording under Macros in the tab View.

Step 2: Edit the macro

Press “Alt+F11” on the keyboard to start Visual Basic Editor.

Double-click Module1 from Modules at the bottom of VBAProject (PERSONAL.XLSB) in Project Explorer.

The PathFooter you just created appears in the code window.

Out of this, remove the unnecessary code, leaving the following code:

Sub PathFooter()
    With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
        .CenterFooter = "&Z&F"
    End With
End Sub

Next, add the following code to display the print preview just before the code “End Sub.”

1	ActiveWorkbook.PrintPreview

Click the “x” in the upper right corner to close VBE.

Click the icon on the Quick Access Toolbar and click More Commands.

The Excel Options window will open with a screen for customizing the Quick Access Toolbar. Among these, click the pull-down button of “Choose commands from:.”