Can the Header/Footer in Numbers be completely deleted?

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Level 1

8 points

Can the Header/Footer in Numbers be completely deleted?

When entering the Print Setup in Numbers, I see where the header and footer can be edited, but I would like it to be completely deleted.

I know an empty header/footer block doesn’t print anything, but I’m “printing” something to a PDF and being able to remove that header would let me (more easily) render a zero-border PDF by originating the PDF at 0,0. As it is now, the PDF only has the left border at 0, but the top at… some value? I don’t even really know what the height of the headers/footers.

Posted on Oct 1, 2024 11:12 AM

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Answer 1

Camelot

Level 9

55,305 points

Oct 1, 2024 11:57 AM in response to Camelot

After I posted that, I had an idea... kind of a PITA, but it may work for you.

On your spreadsheet, select the table and select Arrange in the Inspector (or use View -> Show Arrange Tools)

This set of tools allow you to define the overall size and position of the table on the sheet.

The interesting thing is that you can enter negative values for the position, essentially positioning the table to the left or 'above' the top of the page.

I entered -20px, which was enough to shift the table up to offset the forced page header on printing:

Note this only works for the top page(s) of your print. Sheets taller than a single sheet didn't honor this offset on subsequent pages (which doesn't surprise me). Maybe it's enough. I'll keep digging :)

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Answer 2

Camelot

Level 9

55,305 points

Oct 1, 2024 11:46 AM in response to seanscian

Huh. I'd never noticed this before. I guess I don't print a lot of spreadsheets.

It appears that Numbers always maintains a page header and footer - typically used for document-level details such as the document name, page number, etc.

Even though you can reduce the margins on the page, and the space between the page header and the tables, there doesn't appear to be a way to remove that space altogether.

Your options are pretty much some kind of post-processing in a PDF editor to remove the margin/move the printed area, or to use https://feedback.apple.com/ and ask for the ability to remove print headers (but don't hold your breath)

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Answer 3

seanscian Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 1, 2024 12:07 PM in response to Camelot

Yeah, it’s not so much print as “export something pretty to a borderless PDF,” and Numbers has that quarter-inch at the top of the PDF output.

I already export to something bigger than the element, like an 8½×11 page will get put into an 11×17 PDF, where I can post-process and trim it. I just figured it’d save me a microsecond if I knew the origin of one corner was 0,0.

And I see your follow-up. Since I have to post-process, and since 20px isn’t always 0.25 inches (not sure where I unearthed that tidbit), I’ll just dump it to a PDF as always and since I now know it’s a reliable quarter inch I can just do my trimming there.

I do appreciate the confirmation; I was hoping I was missing something and would have welcomed a “Hey, uh… did you know you can just click, click, click and the header/footer is gone?”, but it seems the header and footer are eternally present.

And, yeah, if I actually printed these things I doubt I’d really care that much—because I’d probably never notice the header/footer over the myriad other nuisances actual printing always seems to raise.

Thanks for the rapid response(s)!

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