Excel Basics 3

Excel Basics –III Formatting
Dr. Mamta Santosh Nair

Wrapping text and merging cells
• Whenever you have too much cell content to
be displayed in a single cell, you may decide
to wrap the text or merge the cell rather than
resize a column. Wrapping the text will
automatically modify a cell's row height,
allowing cell contents to be displayed on
multiple lines. Merging allows you to combine
a cell with adjacent empty cells to create one
large cell.
To wrap text in cells
• Select the cells you want to wrap. In this
example, we'll select the cells in column C.
• Click the Wrap Text command on
the Home tab.
• The text in the selected cells will be wrapped.
To merge cells using the Merge & Center
command
• Select the cell range you want to merge. In
our example, we'll select A1:F1.
• Click the Merge & Center command on
the Home tab. In our example, we'll select the
cell range A1:F1.
To merge cells using the Merge & Center
command
• Select the cell range you want to merge. In our example,
we'll select A1:F1.
• Click the Merge & Center command on the Home tab. In
our example, we'll select the cell range A1:F1.
The selected cells will be merged, and the
text will be centered
To access more merge options
• If you click the drop-down arrow next to
the Merge & Center command on
the Home tab, the Merge drop-down menu
will appear.
• From here, you can choose to:
• Merge & Center: merges the selected cells
into one cell and centers the text
• Merge Across: merges the selected cells
into larger cells while keeping each row separate
• Merge Cells: merges the selected cells into one
cell but does not center the text
• Unmerge Cells: unmerges selected cells
Basic Formatting
• To change the font size:
• Select the cell(s) you want to modify.
• Bold /Italic/Underline
• Font Style
• Font Color
Cell borders and fill colors
• Cell borders and fill colors allow you to create clear
and defined boundaries for different sections of your
worksheet. Below, we'll add cell borders and fill color
to our header cells to help distinguish them from the
rest of the worksheet.
• To add a fill color:
• On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to
the Fill Color command, then select the fill color you
want to use. In our example, we'll choose a dark gray.
To add a border:
Select the cell(s) you want to modify
On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Borders command,
then select the border style you want to use. In our example, we'll choose to
display All Borders. You can draw borders and change the line style and color of
borders with the Draw Borders tools at the bottom of the Borders drop-down
menu.
Cell styles
• Instead of formatting cells manually, you can use
Excel's predesigned cell styles. Cell styles are a
quick way to include professional formatting for
different parts of your workbook, such
as titles and headers.
• To apply a cell style:
• In our example, we'll apply a new cell style to our
existing title and header cells.
Text alignment
• By default, any text entered into your worksheet will be
aligned to the bottom-left of a cell, while any numbers will
be aligned to the bottom-right. Changing the alignment of
your cell content allows you to choose how the content is
displayed in any cell, which can make your cell content
easier to read.
• Click the arrows in the slideshow below to learn more about
the different text alignment options.
To change horizontal text alignment
• In our example below, we'll modify the

alignment of our title cell to create a more
polished look and further distinguish it from
the rest of the worksheet.
To change vertical text alignment
• Select one of the three vertical
alignment commands on the Home tab. In our
example, we'll choose Middle Align.
Format Painter
• If you want to copy formatting from one cell to
another, you can use the Format Painter command
on the Home tab. When you click the Format
Painter, it will copy all of the formatting from the
selected cell. You can then click and drag over any
cells you want to paste the formatting to.
What are number formats?
• Whenever you're working with a spreadsheet,
it's a good idea to use appropriate number
formats for your data. Number formats tell
your spreadsheet exactly what type of data
you're using, like percentages (%), currency
($), times, dates, and so on.
Why use number formats?
• Number formats don't just make your spreadsheet easier to read—they
also make it easier to use. When you apply a number format, you're
telling your spreadsheet exactly what types of values are stored in a cell.
For example, the date format tells the spreadsheet that you're
entering specific calendar dates. This allows the spreadsheet to better
understand your data, which can help ensure that your data remains
consistent and that your formulas are calculated correctly.
• If you don't need to use a specific number format, the spreadsheet will
usually apply the general number format by default. However, the
general format may apply some small formatting changes to your data.
• Just like other types of formatting, such as changing the font color, you'll
apply number formats by selecting cells and choosing the desired
formatting option. There are two main ways to choose a number format:
• Go to the Home tab, click the Number Format drop-down menu in
the Number group, and select the desired format.
You can also click one of the quick number-formatting
commands below the drop-down menu.
If you select any cells with number formatting, you can see
the actual value of the cell in the formula bar. The
spreadsheet will use this value for formulas and other
calculations.
Percentage formats
• One of the most helpful number formats is
the percentage (%) format. It displays values as percentages,
such as 20% or 55%. This is especially helpful when
calculating things like the cost of sales tax or a tip. When you
type a percent sign (%) after a number, the percentage
number format will be be applied to that cell automatically.
Date formats
• Whenever you're working with dates, you'll want to use a date format to tell
the spreadsheet that you're referring to specific calendar dates, such as July
15, 2014. Date formats also allow you to work with a powerful set of date
functions that use time and date information to calculate an answer.
• Spreadsheets don't understand information the same way a person would.
For instance, if you type October into a cell, the spreadsheet won't know
you're entering a date so it will treat it like any other text. Instead, when you
enter a date, you'll need to use a specific format your spreadsheet
understands, such as month/day/year (or day/month/year depending on
which country you're in). In the example below, we'll type 10/12/2014 for
October 12, 2014. Our spreadsheet will then automatically apply the date
number format for the cell.
Try entering the dates below into a spreadsheet
and see if the date format is applied automatically
• 10/12
• October
• October 12
• October 2016
• 10/12/2016
• October 12, 2016
• 2016
• October 12th
• If you want to add the current date to a cell, you can use
the Ctrl+; shortcut, as shown in the video below.
The Format Cells dialog box will appear. From here,
you can choose the desired date formatting option.
Increase and Decrease Decimal
• The Increase Decimal and Decrease
Decimal commands allow you to control how
many decimal places are displayed in a cell.
These commands don't change the value of
the cell; instead, they display the value to a set
number of decimal places.
• Every workbook contains at least
one worksheet by default. When working with
a large amount of data, you can
create multiple worksheets to help organize
your workbook and make it easier to find
content. You can also group worksheets to
quickly add information to multiple
worksheets at the same time.
• To insert a new worksheet:
• Locate and select the New sheet button near
the bottom-right corner of the Excel window.
To copy a worksheet
• If you need to duplicate the content of one
worksheet to another, Excel allows you
to copy an existing worksheet.
• Right-click the worksheet you want to copy,
then select Move or Copy from the worksheet
menu.

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Excel Basics –III Formatting

Dr. Mamta Santosh Nair

• In our example below, we'll modify the

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