Format & Arrange:
Apply Formatting

Title: Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101
Did you want Working with Numbers: 2007,2010,2013,2016  or españolIcon: Change web

In Excel your formatting choices are grouped neatly in a single dialog with 6 tabs. There are so many choices! It will take you a while to become familiar with all of them.

In this section you will apply text formatting. Later you will work with number formats, alignment, borders, and patterns.

Default settings for Format Cells - Font tab


Where you are:
JegsWorks > Lessons > Numbers

Before you start...

Project 1: Excel IntroTo subtopics

Project 2: Excel BasicsTo subtopics   

Project 3: Format & Arrange
    Format Cells Open arrow to subtopics
    footprintApply Formatting
    footprintCopy Formatting
    footprintPartial, AutoFormat
    footprintStyle - Dialog
    footprintStyle - Style box
    Format ChartTo subtopics
    ArrangeTo subtopics
    Summary
    Quiz
    ExercisesTo subtopics

Project 4: Groups & FormulasTo subtopics

Project 5: DesignTo subtopics

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Step-by-Step: Apply Formatting

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What you will learn:

 to apply text formatting with the Format dialog
to apply text formatting with toolbar
to merge cells and center text

Start with: Class disk trips9.xls (saved in previous lesson)

Format Cell: Dialog

  1. Open  trips9.xls  from your Class disk in the  excel project2  folder.
     
  2. Select  View  |  Header and Footer…  and click on Custom Header. Edit the Right section to read  Excel Project 3 
     
  3. Class disk From the menu select  File  |  Save As  and save the file to the folder  excel project3  on your Class disk as  trips9.xls . Create the folder excel project3 if it does not yet exist.
     
  4. Unformatted title cellsSelect cell A1 =  World Travel Inc. 
     
  5. From the menu select  Format  |  Cells…  The Format Cells dialog appears. It has 6 tabs for formatting options.
     
  6. Click on each tab to see what you can use it for. So many choices! Especially notice the various number and alignment choices.
     
  7. Dialog: Format Cells - Font tabReturn to the Font tab.
     
  8. Format the title in cell A1 as:
     
    Font = Matura MT Script Capitals
    Font Size = 24
    Color = Green
     
  9. Click on OK to close the dialog.

Format Cell: Formatting bar

Some of the most common formatting choices are also available on the toolbar. Handy! 

  1. Select cell A2 =  Anniversary Specials 
     
  2. Formatting toolbarUse the Formatting bar to format this cell as:

    Title and Subtitle formattedFont = Arial;
    Font Size = 18;
    Font style = Bold;
    Color = Green

 


Format Cell: Merge and Center

  1. Select the range A1:E2, which is the width of your data.
     
  2. Click Button: Merge and Center the Merge and Center button. You get a warning! Message: Merging cells keeps data in upper left cell only

    Warning When cells are merged, all data is lost except what is in the upper left cell. This is very different from the way Word handles merged table cells, where each cell's contents becomes a separate paragraph in the merged cell.

    Excel will warn you that you are about to lose data, even if you have Office Assistant turned off.
     

  3. Click Cancel.
     
  4. Select just A1:E1 this time. Click on Button: Merge and Center the Merge and Center button again. The text in A1 is centered across the selection.

    Cells A1:E1 merged and centered

  5. Select range A2:E2.
     
  6. Click Button: Merge and Center the Merge and Center. The text in A2 is centered over the selected range.

    Titles merged and centered

  7. Class disk Save as  trips9.xls  on your Class disk in the  excel project3  folder.
    full floppy diskHow to handle a full disk

Dialog: Format Cells - Alignment tabtipSplit Cell: When you want to split, or unmerge, a merged cell, you must select  Format  |  Cells…  |  Alignment . Clear the checkbox Merge cells at the bottom of the tab. All data in the merged cell will be put in the upper left cell after the split. Data that was lost at the merge is still lost.

tip Add button to toolbar: You can customize your toolbar to include Button: Merge Cells a Merge Cells button (without the centering) and Button: Split cell an Unmerge Cells button. How to do customize a toolbar will be discussed later in the lessons Style - Style box.