Prerequisite: you need a spreadsheet that already has at least one chart (from earlier Module 3 work), or you will use the class sample {{code:sm3_print_sample}} your teacher opens now.
A chart that looks sharp on screen can still fail on paper or in a PDF if you print the wrong selection. Today you fully export two clean outputs: chart only, and chart plus data on one page. You will also do a quick data-range preview check (you do not need a separate data-only PDF for the folder). That skill matters when you hand a sponsor, supervisor, or Key Assignment assessor exactly what they need to read, without a cluttered full workbook dump.
Think of one chart in your Something Real sheet, or the class sample if yours is not ready. If your Work Experience supervisor or a community contact only had 30 seconds, would you send the chart alone, the numbers alone, or both on one page? Hold that answer. You will use it when you export later.
Before you click Print or Download, decide what the reader needs to see. You will fully export two outputs today. Data-range is a quick preview check only.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Chart-only export — a full-page PDF that shows the chart and almost nothing else | Busy readers often decide from the visual first; spare grid cells distract | A side-hustle sales trend chart emailed alone to a sponsor who asked if sales are going up |
| Combined chart-plus-data page — chart and its source table on one clean page | Specialism and VET-style evidence is stronger when the reader can see the visual and verify the figures in one file | A community project cost chart above a short cost table on one A4 PDF for a club treasurer |
| Data-range preview check — select only the source cells and confirm print preview before you share numbers | Stops accidental full-sheet dumps when someone needs the figures; you do not bank a separate data-only PDF today | A Work Experience hours block checked in preview for a supervisor who must sign totals |
PDF as the finished share format: a locked layout that looks the same on any device, so editable workbooks do not shift or hide the chart on someone else's machine.
Imagine a small enterprise sheet with months in column A, units sold in column B, and a column chart titled Units sold by month. In the guided task you place the chart on a dedicated {{code:chart_only}} sheet, enlarge it, and export one clean page. In independent practice you place the chart above its table, hide spare rows and columns, and export chart plus numbers on one page.
Good preview: the chart fills most of one page (chart-only), or chart and table share one page with no cut-off edges. Bad preview: a postage-stamp chart lost in empty grid, extra blank pages, or the whole workbook spilling across several sheets. Fix selection and layout before you save the PDF.
Follow the steps for your spreadsheet app on the class sample {{code:sm3_print_sample}} (or a clean copy your teacher linked). In this guided task you only bank one practice PDF: {{code:sm3_chart_only_practice.pdf}}. You will also check a data range in print preview (no separate data PDF). The combined chart-plus-data export comes in independent practice on your Something Real sheet.
Watch print preview carefully before every export.
Chart-only path in three moves (both apps):
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My PDF shows the whole workbook or lots of empty pages | You probably printed the workbook or an oversized sheet. Use a {{code:chart_only}} sheet for chart-only exports. For combined output in both Excel Online and Google Sheets, hide unused columns beyond the table and hide rows below the chart-plus-table block, then print the current sheet. Re-check print preview before exporting. |
| The chart is tiny in the corner of the PDF | Enlarge the chart on the {{code:chart_only}} sheet, use landscape orientation, and confirm the preview shows a full-page chart before you save. |
| The combined page cuts off the last rows or half the chart | Open print preview, switch to landscape, use fit-to-page or narrower margins, move the chart closer to the table, and hide one more unused row or column so both sit in one print area. |
| I cannot find the PDF after printing | Check your browser Downloads folder, then move the file into {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm3/}}. Use {{code:sm3_chart_only_practice.pdf}} in the guided task and final {{code:sm3_chart_only.pdf}} / {{code:sm3_chart_with_data.pdf}} names in independent practice. |
| Print preview looks different in Excel Online and Google Sheets | That is normal. Follow the tab for your app. Judge success by the PDF result: chart-only clarity and a one-page combined layout, not by matching the other app's menus exactly. |
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