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CHAPTER 2
Formatting Worksheets

Overview

This chapter covers basic formatting commands like font, font size, font style, and font color and
advanced formatting commands like font tab, alignment tab, fill tab, border tab number tab, and
protection tab; applying them to preparation of worksheets/workbooks.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Familiarize with the different basic and advanced formatting commands;

 Apply changing of font, font size, font style, and font color, as well as adding cell borders
and changing the background color of cells and others;
 Apply position cell contents like alignment, indenting data, rotating data, wrapping, and
merging cells;
 Apply numbers formatting and advanced formatting like the font tab, alignment tab, fill
tab, border tab number tab, and protection tab;
 Demonstrate how to format columns and rows like Hide and Unhide, Insert, delete
Columns, Rows and Sheets; and
 Create worksheets applying the different basic formatting and advanced formatting
commands.

Learning Contents
 Formatting Worksheets
 Formatting Cells and Cell Contents
 Positioning Cell Contents
 Formatting Numbers
 Copying Cell Formats
 Advance Formatting
 Formatting Columns and Rows
 Formatting
Worksheets

Excel 2010 includes a number of features that can be used to easily format a worksheet.
Formatting enhances the appearance of a worksheet and makes it look professional. You can change font
types and sizes, colors, number formats, etc. Appropriate formatting also indicates quality and credibility
(see figure 2.1 and figure 2.2).

Formatting Cells and Cell Contents

You can make a worksheet easier to read and understand by applying different types of formatting
to cells and cell contents. This includes changing the font, font size, font style, and font color, as well as
adding cell borders and changing the background color of cells. Since formatting is attached to the cell
and not to the entry, you can format a cell before or after you enter the data. The Font group on the Home
tab of the Ribbon provides quick access to the most commonly used formatting commands (see Figure
2.1).

Formatting Groups on Home Tab Ribbon

2 3

1 4

5 1
0

6 7 8 9

Figure 2.1- Formatting Group (Font)

Font Group

1. Font – enables users to change the font face of the text (data) in the cell/s.

2. Font Size – allows to change the size of text

3. Increase Font Size – increase the font size in a cell

4. Decrease Font Size – decrease the font size in a cell

5. Bold – make the text on the selected cells bold

6. Italic – italicized the text on the selected cells

7. Underline – underline the text on the selected cells

8. Border – apply borders to the currently selected cells

9. Fill Color – Color the background of the selected cells

10. Font Color – allows user to change the text color of the selected text on cells

Alignment Group

2 5
3 4
1

7 8 9 10 11

Figure 2.2- Formatting Group (Alignment)

 1. Top Align – align text to the top of the cell

2. Middle Align – align text so that it is centered between the top and bottom of the cell

3. Bottom Align – align text to the bottom of the cell

4. Orientation – rotate the text into a diagonal angle or vertical orientation. This is often used
for labeling narrow columns.

5. Wrap Text – Make all content visible within a cell by displaying it on multiple lines.

6. Align Text Left – align Text to the left.

7. Center – center text

8. Align Text Right – align text to the right.

9. Decrease Indent (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Tab)– decrease the margin between the border and the text
in the cell

10. Increase Indent (Ctrl+Alt+Tab)- increase the margin between the border and the text in the
cell

11. Merge & Center – joins the selected cells into one larger cell and centers the contents in the
new cell. This is often used to create labels that span multiple columns

Changing the Font

A font is defined as a group of characters sharing similar type attributes. By default, Excel
uses Calibri as its default font and all new worksheets will use this font for data that you enter.
However, you can choose different font faces for cells on the worksheet.

To change the font:

1. Select the cells where you want to change font.

2. Click the drop down list arrow to the right of the Font box in the Font group.
3. The fonts are listed alphabetically. Use the vertical scroll bar on the right of the list to move the
list items up and down (see figure 2.3).
 Figure 2.3- Font

4. Select the desired font by clicking it. The font face for the selected cells will change to reflect your
choice.

Changing the Font Size

Font size is measured in points. The larger the font size, the larger the data. The default
font size in new Excel 2010 workbooks is 11 points.

To change the font:

1. Select the cells where you want to change font size.

2. Click the drop-down list arrow to the right of the currently displayed font size
3. Pick a new number from the list – the selected cell data will change size accordingly (see figure
2.4).

NOTE: You can also change the font size by clicking the Increase Font Size

button or Decrease Font Size button in the Font group on the

Home tab of the Ribbon.
 Figure 2.4- Font Size

Applying Font Styles

You can apply one or more font styles to emphasize important data in a worksheet. Font
styles are attributes such as bold, italic, and underline. Bolding makes the characters darker.
Italicizing slants the characters to the right. Underlining adds a line below the characters in a
cell, not the cell itself.

To bold or italicize data:

1. Select the cell that you want to format.

2. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Bold button or the Italic button .

To underline data:

1. Select the cell that you want to format.

2. On the Home tab, in the Font group, do one of the following (see Figure 2.5):
 To apply a single underline, click the Underline button.
 To apply a double underline, click the Underline arrow, and then click Double Underline.

Figure 2.5 – Underline Menu

NOTE: The Bold, Italic, and Underline buttons are toggles. If you select a cell to which
one of these formats has been applied, and then click the corresponding button, that
format is removed.
 Adding Cell Borders
You can add borders to any or all sides of a single cell
or range. Excel includes several predefined border
styles that you can use.

To add a cell border:

1. Select the cell to which you want to add a border.

2. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Borders
button to apply the most recently used border style, or
click the Borders arrow and select a different border
style from the menu (see Figure 2.6).

NOTE: You can remove a cell border by clicking the

Borders arrow, and then clicking No Border.

Figure
2.6- Border menu

Changing the Font Color and Fill Color

You can change the font color or fill color of cells to emphasize important data or add
visual impact to a worksheet. Fill color refers to the background color of a cell.

To change the font color:

1. Select the cell that you want to format.

2. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Font Color button to apply the most recently used
color, or click the Font Color arrow and select a different color from the color palette (see Figure
2.7).

To change the fill color:

1. Select the cell that you want to format.

 2. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Fill Color button to apply the most recently used
color, or click the Fill Color arrow and select a different color from the color palette (see Figure
2.8).

NOTE: You can remove a fill color by clicking the Fill Color arrow, and then clicking No Fill.

Figure 2.7 – Font Color Palette Figure 2.8 – Fill Color Palette

Positioning Cell Contents

The Alignment group on the Home tab on the Ribbon contains the most useful commands for
positioning data within cells (see Figure 2.9). They can be used to change the alignment, indentation, and
orientation of cell data, wrap data within cells, as well as merge cells.

NOTE: For more precise control and additional options, click the dialog box launcher
in the Alignment group to open the Alignment tab of the Format Cells dialog box.

Figure 2.9 – Alignment Group on the Home Tab

Alignment
You can change the horizontal and vertical alignment of cell data. By default, text is
aligned to the left edge of a cell and numbers are aligned to the right.
 To align data:

1. Select the cell that contains the data you want to align.
2. On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the desired alignment button (see Figure 2.9 and
Table 2.1).

Table 2.1 – Alignment Buttons

Name Description
Aligns the cell contents with the left edge of the
Align Text Left
cell.
Centers the cell contents horizontally within the
Center
cell.
Aligns the cell contents with the right edge of the
Align Text Right
cell.
Aligns the cell contents with the top edge of the
Top Align
cell.
Centers the cell contents vertically within the cell.
Middle Align
Aligns the cell contents with the bottom edge of
Bottom Align
the cell.

Indenting Data
Indenting moves data away from the edge of the cell. This is often used to indicate a level
of less importance (such as a subtopic). Each click increments the amount of indentation by one
character.

To indent data:

1. Select the cell that contains the data you want to indent.
2. On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the Increase Indent button the number of
times that you want the data indented (see Figure 2.10).

NOTE: You can decrease or remove the indentation applied to cell data by clicking the
Decrease Indent button in the Alignment group.
 Figure 2.10 – Indented Data
Rotating Data
You can rotate data clockwise, counterclockwise, or vertically within a cell. This is
often used to label narrow columns or to add visual impact to a worksheet.

To rotate data:

1. Select the cell that contains the data you want to rotate.
2. On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the Orientation button and select the desired
option from the menu (see Figure 2.11). The row height automatically adjusts to fit the rotated
data (see Figure 2.12).

Figure 2.11- Orientation Menu Figure 2.12- Rotated Data

NOTE: You can restore the data to its default orientation by clicking the Orientation
button and selecting the currently selected orientation.

Wrapping Data
Wrapping displays data on multiple lines within a cell. The number of wrapped lines
depends on the width of the column and the length of the data.

To wrap data:

1. Select the cell that contains the data you want to wrap.

2. On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the Wrap Text button . The row height
automatically adjusts to fit the wrapped data (see Figure 2.13).
 Figure 2.13 – Wrapped Data

NOTE: You can restore the data to its original format by clicking the Wrap Text button.
again.

Merging Cells
Merging combines two or more adjacent cells into one larger cell. This is a great way to
create labels that span several columns.

NOTE: If the cells you intend to merge have data in more than one cell, only the data in
the upper left cell remains after you merge the cells.

To merge cells:

1. Select the cells that you want to merge.

2. On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the Merge & Center arrow and select one of the
following options (see Figure 2.14):

3. The merge cells look like this:

 Merge & Center: Merges the selected cells into one cell and centers the data. This is the
default action of the button.
  Merge Across: Merges each row of the selected cells into a larger cell.

 Merge Cells: Merges the selected cells into one cell.

Figure 2.14 – Merge & Center Menu

NOTE: You can split a merged cell by selecting it, clicking the Merge & Center arrow, and
Formatting Numbers
then clicking Unmerge Cells.

You can apply number formats to cells containing numbers to better reflect the type of data they
represent. For example, you can display a numeric value as a percentage, as currency, as a date or time,
etc. The Number group on the Home tab of the Ribbon provides quick access to the most commonly used
number formats (see Figure 2.15).

NOTE: Formatting does not change the actual value stored in a cell. The actual value is
used in calculations and is displayed in the Formula bar when the cell is selected.

Figure 2.15 – Number Group on the Home Tab

 To format numbers:

1. Select the cell that you want to format.

2. On the Home tab, in the Number group, do one of the following (see
Figure 2.15):

 Click the Accounting Number Format button to display the

number with a dollar sign, comma separators, and two decimal places.

NOTE: You can select a different currency symbol by clicking the

Accounting Number Format arrow and selecting the desired
symbol from the menu.

 Click the Percent Style button to convert the number to a

percentage and display it with a percent sign.

 Click the Comma Style button to display the number with comma
separators and two decimal places.

NOTE: You can access additional number formats from the

Number Format menu (see Figure 2.16).

Figure 2.16 – Number Format Menu

To change the number of decimal places:

1. Select the cell that you want to format.

2. On the Home tab, in the Number group, do one of the following (see Figure 2.15):
 Click the Increase Decimal button to increase the number of decimal places.

 Click the Decrease Decimal button to decrease the number of decimal places.

Copying Cell Formats

 After formatting a cell, you might want to apply the same formats to other cells in the worksheet.
Rather than selecting each cell and applying the individual formats, you can use the Format Painter
command to quickly copy the formatting of one cell and apply it to other cells.

To copy cell formats:

1. Select the cell that has the formatting you want to copy.
2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the Format Painter button . The mouse
pointer changes to a plus sign with a paintbrush .

3. Select the cell to which you want to apply the copied formatting.

NOTE: If you want to apply the copied formatting to more than one cell, double-click the
Format Painter button instead of single-clicking it. This keeps the Format Painter active
until you press the Esc key.

Advance Formatting

To apply percent style:

1. Select the cells whose formats you want to change.

2. Click the Dialog Box Launcher from the Font, Alignment

or Number on the Home Ribbon.

3. Or Right click on the selected cells and select Format Cells.

4. The Format Cell Dialog box will appear

 Figure 2.17-Format Cell Dialog Box

Font Tab
This setting gives Font formatting options for text and numbers. This will display Font
Formatting options, not found in the Formatting Toolbar (see figure 2.18)

Figure 2.18 – Font Tab

Alignment Tab
This setting gives you lot of options for alignment. This will display options, not available
in the Formatting Toolbar (see figure 2.19)

Figure 2.19- Alignment Tab

Horizontal Alignment
Most of the formats for horizontal alignment are available in the formatting toolbar
(Right, Center, Left), however there are some extras:

 Justify –Where you have several lines of data in a cell, you can ensure that left and right
edges of the data are straight.
 Fill - use this to repeat the selected cell entries within their cells so that the entire cell
from left to right is full.

Vertical Alignment
 Use this option in the list to choose how data lines up between the top and bottom edges
of cells.

Wrap Text
Where you have entry that is too wide for the column, you can get Excel to wrap within a
cell. Where a single line becomes multiple lines.

Example:

Shrink to Fit
Reduces the apparent size of font characters so that all data in a selected cell fits within
the column.

Example:

Merge Cells
Make selected cells into one cell.

Orientation
You can display and print data in Excel oriented any way you choose.

Fill Tab
Where you can use settings on the patterns and background fill color (see figure 2.20).
 Figure 2.20- Fill Tab

Border Tab
You can change border line styles, colors and directions using Borders tab (see figure
2.21).

Figure 2.21 – Border Tab

Numbers Tab
It gives you the ability to display data that Excel stores numerically in lots different ways
(see figure 2.22).
 Figure 2.22 – Number
Protection Tab Tab

You can use this to control which cells are accessible when you protect sheet.

Formatting Columns and Rows

Hide Columns, Rows and Sheets

You can choose not to display certain rows and columns on your screen. Hiding them also
prevents them from printing.

To hide columns:

1. Select the column you want to hide by

clicking on the column letter, or if you want
to hide multiple columns, highlight
them.

2. Click the right mouse button anywhere

over the selection to display the shortcut
menu.

3. Choose Hide.
 To hide rows:

1. Select the row you want to hide by clicking on the row number,
or if you want to hide multiple rows, highlight them.

2. Click the right mouse button anywhere over the selection to

display the shortcut menu.

3. Choose Hide.

To hide sheets

1. Select sheets to be hidden

2. Right click on a selected sheet tab
3. Click Hide

To unhide columns and rows or sheets:

1. Select sheets to be hidden

2. Right click on a selected sheet tab

3. Click Unhide

Insert and Delete Cells, Rows, Columns or Sheets

You can add new cells into a worksheet if you
need to make space to add new entries in. Excel also
gives you tools for adding entire rows and columns.
If you add cells, Excel will ask you how the existing
cells should be rearranged to accommodate the new
ones.

Add Cells

To insert a cell:
1. Select the cell below or to the right of where you want
the new one.

2. Click the right mouse button to access the shortcut

menu.

3. Choose Insert. The following dialog box will appear:

4. Choose Shift cells right to insert a new cell to the left

of the selected one, or Shift cells down to insert a
new cell above the selected one.

To insert multiple cells:

1. Select the amount of cells corresponding to the number

you want to insert below or to the right of where you
want the new ones.

2. Click the right mouse button to access the shortcut

menu.

3. Choose Insert to access the dialog.

4. Choose Shift cells right to insert new cells to the left of the selected one, or Shift cells down to
insert new cells above the selected one.

To insert entire rows:

1. Select the row below where you want the new one by
clicking its row number, or if you are inserting multiple
rows, highlight them.

2. Click the right mouse button anywhere over the

selection to access the shortcut menu.

3. Choose Insert. Excel adds the number of selected

rows above the first row in your selection.

To insert entire columns:

1. Select the column to the right of where you want the new one by clicking its column letter, or if
you are inserting multiple columns, highlight them.

2. Click the right mouse button anywhere over the selection to access the shortcut menu.
3. Choose Insert. Excel adds the number of selected columns to the left of the first column in your
selection.

Delete Cells
In Excel 2010 we can delete straight from the home ribbon by clicking on the delete
button to show us a menu to delete any part of the workbook, sheet, row, column or cell.

To delete cells:

1. Select the cells you want to delete.

2. Click the right mouse button to access the shortcut menu.
3. Choose Delete. The following dialog box will appear:
4. Choose Shift cells left to close the gap left by the deleted cells with
cell entries to the left.

To delete entire rows or columns:

1. Select the row or column you want to delete by clicking its row number or column letter or, if you
are deleting multiple columns or rows, highlight them.

2. Click the right mouse button anywhere over the selection to access the shortcut menu.

3. Choose Delete.