Print a chart only in Numbers

Excel is a great app. It can handle just about anything.

However, Numbers is nimble and can be very convenient for many projects.

Numbers also makes it super-easy to print "just the chart" without the data table.

Just click the chart to select it (the Edit Data References rectangle should appear) and hit command-c to copy the chart to the clipboard.

Then open the Preview app, hit command-n, and print the result.

Done in less than five seconds.

SG

Let me explain this just a little more than just how to solve the issue (mostly for those that come across this posting and want to know the difference between numbers and excel printing and page organization)

How do I highlight and print like Excel?

Excel is based on the old Ledger books. Each page/tab/sheet was a massive list of columns and rows. Thus the Million rows and hundreds of columns available on each tab/sheet.

In excel you would never print the whole 1 Million rows and hundreds of columns that are one each sheet, so you normally select a range of cells you want to print. (or you let excel find the used range and print that). Which is what the poster is asking for, the equivalent in numbers.

Numbers is based on the concept of a desktop type work surface. Where you can have multiple pieces of graph paper (tables), charts, pictures and more, that really act on their own. Each piece of graph paper only needs to be the size of the data that is written down on it. giving you lots of freedom with how you organize your data/charts/etc... for display

When you print in Numbers, its like taking out your phone and taking a picture of your actual physical desktop with all the different sheets of graph paper and other stuff on it.

This is why all the posters are (correctly) suggesting copying the chart to its own tab (think work surface). then its the only thing you are taking a picture of on that work surface. When you copy you are preserving the connection to the data on the original sheet, so it should update just fine. you could retain both the chart on the main sheet and the one for printing the chart only.

Hope that helps someone sometime, as i have seen multiple postings from people a little confused on how it is organized.

Jason

Not "all the posters" are suggesting the chart needs to be copied to its own sheet (tab).😀

This poster advised leaving the chart wherever it is if you want, and just clicking it, typing command-c to copy, then in Preview typing command-n and printing from there (or save it as an image). That sounds cumbersome as described, but actually it's quick and easy.

This approach works on ranges of cells too, with a very similar result as you would get in Excel (except you won't be able to "freeze" rows at the top for column titles the way you can when you're printing a whole table). Simply select a range, command-c to copy, and in Preview command-n and print that.

SG

Hi Jim

If you've been using MS Excel proficiently for 20 years, and are familiar with all its features, then your professed evaluation of Numbers is understandable. Numbers is not Excel, and it's pretty obvious it was never intended to be Excel.

Regarding printing only a chart:

Select the chart by clicking on it once.

Press command C to Copy.

Click the + sign at the left end of the Sheets list to create a new sheet.

Delete the default table that comes with the new Sheet.

Click the sheet.

Press command-V to Paste

Press command-P to open Print Setup.

(fiddly bit)

Press command-P or click Print… to move to the Print dialogue.

Make any changes needed to the print destination or other settings, then press return or click Print.

The fiddly bit:

Numbers defines 'pages' only when you are preparing to print or in the process of printing.

In Print setup, you will see an image of your table, fitted on a single sheet, but not necessarily positioned where you want it to be.

The only editing possible in Print Setup is to enter or revise text in the Page Header and Page Footer boxes. To move the chart itself, or otherwise edit the chart, you will need to click Done to get back to the 'normal' view of the chart (or any other part of the document).

After printing, remember to click Done i you are still in Print Setup.

If you have no further need of the New Sheet, It can be safely deleted. Click the wide v at the right end of the Sheet's tab and choose Delete from the contextual menu that appears.

Regards,

Barry

SG, Sorry, didnt know i would misunderstood to mean it should be moved to a new tab. I did say "copying the chart to its own tab not "moving the chart to its own tab".

I even tried to make it clearer with "you could retain both the chart on the main sheet and the one for printing the chart only."

I will try to be clearer next time.

Jason