Export and Print Excel from Power BI Report Builder

[NicoleR]

Hello, 

I am developping Power BI Report Builders. I have a requirement where the users must be able to export into Excel and then print : 

- I have a header and a footer 

- I have a matrix in the body of the page 

- The header of the matrix must be fixed and displayed on all pages (currently, only the header of the page is fixed)

- The columns must be "truncated" and not "autowrapped" 

- Users must be able to print directly with the pages formatted. 

- Each cells of the matrix must be one cell in Excel (currently, some cells are merged although all components of the report are aligned.)

I have been able to implement all theses requirements when exporting into PDF but it is not working on Excel. Any ideas if it is possible and if so, how? 

Thank you in advance for your help!

[burakkaragoz]

Hi @NicoleR ,

Great breakdown of the issue — and you're right, exporting to Excel from Report Builder can be a bit tricky compared to PDF.

Here are a few things you can try to get closer to what you need:

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1. Avoid merged cells in Excel

To prevent Excel from merging cells:

• Make sure all report items are perfectly aligned — even a 1px misalignment can cause merged cells.
• Use the “Snap to Grid” and “Size to Grid” options in Report Builder.
• Avoid overlapping textboxes or placing items too close to each other.

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2. Fix matrix headers on all pages

Unfortunately, Excel export doesn’t support “Repeat header rows on each page” the same way PDF does. But you can try:

• Setting the “RepeatOnNewPage” property of the matrix row group to True
• Also set “KeepWithGroup” to After and “FixedData” to True

This works better in PDF, but sometimes helps in Excel too — worth testing.

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3. Prevent text wrapping

To truncate instead of wrap:

• Select the textbox or matrix cell
• Set “CanGrow” to False
• Set “TextAlign” and “Padding” carefully to avoid overflow

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4. Page formatting for printing

• Use exact page sizes (e.g., A4 or Letter)
• Set margins explicitly
• Avoid dynamic sizing (like autosizing columns)

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5. Alternative approach

If Excel formatting is critical, consider exporting to CSV and using a macro-enabled Excel template to format it — gives you more control.

Let me know if you want help testing a specific layout — happy to take a look.

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.

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This response was supported by AI for translation and text editing.

[v-dineshya]

Hi @NicoleR ,

Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum. 

Hi @burakkaragoz , @DataNinja777 , Thank you for your prompt response.

Hi @NicoleR , In addition to @burakkaragoz , @DataNinja777  response , I am adding the Microsoft offical document to my response.

Please refer below document.

Export a paginated report to Microsoft Excel (Report Builder) - Microsoft Report Builder & Power BI ...

Regards,

Dinesh

[NicoleR]

Thank you all for the answers. @burakkaragoz @DataNinja777 @v-dineshya 

Maybe I am missing something. In the Tablix properties, I have "FixedRowHeaders" and "RepeatRowHeaders" set to True

It is working well when exporting to pdf BUT not when exporting in Excel.

Also, for truncacted cells, "CanGrow" is defined on "False" 

And again, it iw working perfectly when exporting into pdf BUT not when exporting into Excel. 

Am I missing something ? 

Thank you

[v-dineshya · Accepted solution]

Hi @NicoleR ,

Please try below things to fix the issue.

1. Even with perfect alignment, Excel may still merge cells due to, Slight differences in Y-position or height of adjacent elements. Autofit Width settings in headers.

Solution: Manually set identical height and Y-position values in the properties pane for all elements. Avoid “Autofit Width” where possible.

2. Excel does not fully support repeating matrix headers across pages. Consider duplicating headers manually in the dataset or using Excel macros post-export.

3. when CanGrow = False, but Excel may still wrap or merge if Padding is inconsistent. Text alignment is not uniform.

Solution: Set Padding = 0 and use TextAlign = Center or Left consistently. Avoid overlapping or tightly packed textboxes.

Please refer Microsoft offical document and community thread.

Export a paginated report to Microsoft Excel (Report Builder) - Microsoft Report Builder & Power BI ...

Solved: Paginated Report Export to Excel Formatting Error - Microsoft Fabric Community

Regards,

Dinesh

[v-dineshya]

Hi @NicoleR ,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Thank you.

[v-dineshya]

Hi @NicoleR ,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Thank you.

[v-dineshya]

Hi @NicoleR ,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Thank you.

[DataNinja777]

Hi @NicoleR ,

Achieving your specific formatting requirements when exporting from Power BI Report Builder to Excel is entirely possible, though it requires a different approach than formatting for a PDF export. The core issue stems from the fundamental difference between the two formats: PDF is a fixed-page layout that preserves visual design exactly, whereas Excel is a flexible grid-based spreadsheet. Because of this, you must adjust specific report properties that target the Excel renderer to get the desired output.

To make your matrix headers repeat on each printed page in Excel, you need to configure the properties of the tablix (the matrix object) itself, rather than relying on the report's page header. You can do this by navigating to the "Grouping" pane in the Report Builder designer. From there, access the "Tablix Properties" for the static row group that contains your headers. Within these properties, you will find and need to check the option to "Repeat header rows on each page." Setting the FixedData property of the header row to True will also ensure the headers remain visible when scrolling within Excel.

For controlling how text appears in the cells, you can prevent it from wrapping and instead force it to be truncated. This is managed by changing the properties of the text boxes inside your matrix. Select the cells you wish to modify, go to the Properties pane, and set the CanGrow property to False. This action stops the cell's height from expanding to accommodate long text, effectively truncating it to fit within the original cell dimensions.

The common problem of merged cells in an Excel export is almost always caused by slight misalignments between different items in your report layout. To ensure each matrix cell exports as a single Excel cell, you must achieve perfect alignment. Every element, from the text boxes in your page header to the matrix in the body and any items in the footer, must have identical starting positions and widths. Use the alignment tools in Report Builder to align the left and right edges and match the widths of your objects precisely. Manually checking the Location and Size properties for each item can help you find and fix tiny discrepancies. Removing any empty white space between these report components is also a crucial step to prevent unintended cell merging.

Finally, to make the exported file print-ready, applying the above fixes for headers and cell structure will handle most of the work. You can further refine the print layout by setting the report's overall page dimensions. By clicking on the report background to select the report object, you can access its PageSize and Margins properties. Adjust these to match your target paper size, such as Letter or A4, which will pre-configure the print settings in the exported Excel file for a seamless printing experience for your users.

Best regards,