Formatting cells on MS Excel

Kennedy Kinyua
 Session Objectives
• By the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
• Apply basic cell formatting such as font type, size, color, bold, italic,
or underlined, text orientation and alignment
• Apply number formatting such as currency, percentages, dates, number
of decimal places, and comma style for thousands separators.
• Apply cell borders
• Apply predefined cell styles
• Protect cells
• Wrap text in cells
• Indent text in cells
 Introduction
• Formatting cells in Excel allows you to control how
data is displayed, making your spreadsheet more
readable and visually appealing
 Number formats
• Select the cells you want to format.
• Right-click and choose "Format Cells."
• In the Format Cells dialog, go to the "Number" tab
and select the desired format.
Number formats
 Number Formats
• General: The default format.

• Number: Options for displaying numbers with or

without decimals, using comma separators, and
specifying negative number formatting.

• Currency: Formats numbers as currency, with options

for currency symbols and decimal places.
 Number formats cont’d
• Date: Formats cells as dates, with various date
formats available.

• Time: Formats cells as times, with various time

formats available.

• Percentage: Displays numbers as percentages.

 Alignment
• Adjust the alignment of text within cells.
• Options include left, right, center, and justified
alignment, as well as vertical alignment.
• Steps:
• Right-click and choose "Format Cells."
• In the Format Cells dialog, go to the “Alignment" tab and
select the desired format.
Alignment
 Font and Font Size
• Change the font family and size.
• Bold, italicize, underline, and apply other font styles.
Font and Font Size
 Borders
• Add borders around cells or cell ranges.
• Options include thick, thin, or dashed lines
Borders
Fill Color and Cell Patterns
 Protect cells
• allows you to control who can edit or modify specific
cells or ranges within a worksheet.

• This is particularly useful when you want to prevent

accidental changes to critical data or formulas.
• Check the "Locked" option. This option alone doesn't protect the cells; it only
specifies that these cells will be locked when protection is applied to the
sheet.
• Click "OK" to close the "Format Cells" dialog box.
• Now, protect the entire worksheet to enforce cell protection.
 Protect the Worksheet
• Go to the "Review" tab on the ribbon.
• Click on "Protect Sheet" in the "Changes" group.
• Set a Password (Optional)
• Choose Protection Options
• choose various options, such as allowing users to select
locked cells, format cells, or insert/delete rows and
columns.
 Unlocking Cells
• If you want to allow editing in specific cells while the
sheet is protected, you need to unlock those cells.
• Go to the "Protection" tab, and uncheck "Locked.“
 Protecting Workbook Structure
• To protect the entire workbook structure (including
sheets and their arrangement), use the "Protect
Workbook" option in the "Review" tab.
• Protecting the worksheet only restricts changes within
that sheet, while protecting the workbook structure
restricts changes to the entire workbook.
• To remove protection, go to the "Review" tab, click
"Unprotect Sheet," and enter the password if applicable.
Protecting Workbook Structure
 Take home message on protection
• Be sure to remember or securely store any passwords
used for sheet or workbook protection, as losing the
password may result in the inability to unprotect the
sheet or workbook.
• By protecting cells, you can maintain the integrity of
your Excel data and formulas while controlling user
access to specific areas of your worksheet. This is
especially useful in collaborative environments or when
sharing sensitive information.
 Number Formatting Shortcuts
• Use shortcuts for common number formats.
• Examples include Ctrl+Shift+$ for currency format
and Ctrl+Shift+% for percentage format.
 Text Formatting
• Wrap text within cells to display long text on multiple
lines.
• Adjust the orientation of the text.

• Steps
• Select the cells.
• Use the "Wrap Text" and "Orientation" options in the
"Home" tab.
 Merge and Center
• Merge multiple cells into one
and center the content.
• Use with caution to avoid
data loss.
• Steps
• Select the cells.
• Use the "Merge & Center"
button in the "Home" tab.
 Custom Formats
• Create custom number or date
formats.
• Define your own formatting
patterns.
• Steps
• In the "Format Cells" dialog, go to
the "Number" tab.
• Select "Custom" and enter your
format code.
 Predefined cell styles
• It’s a quick and easy way to format cells with a consistent
and professional look.

• Cell styles include a combination of font, number format,

alignment, and border settings.

• These styles help you apply a uniform appearance to your

data without manually adjusting individual formatting
options
 Applying Predefined Cell Styles
• Highlight the cell or range of cells that you want to
format.
• On the "Home" tab and In the "Styles" group, you'll
find a "Cell Styles" dropdown menu.
• Choose a Cell Style
 Common Predefined Cell Styles
• Normal: The default style without any additional
formatting.
• Heading Styles: Styles with bold formatting, larger
font size, and different colors suitable for headings.
Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3.
• Title Styles: Styles with bold formatting and various
font sizes suitable for titles. Title, Title 2, Title 3.
 Common Predefined Cell Styles ..2
• Good, Bad, Neutral: Styles with different formatting
for positive, negative, and neutral values.
• Data and Model Styles: Styles suitable for
highlighting data points, input cells, and output cells.
• Themed Styles: Styles that match the current theme
of your Excel workbook.
 Modifying Cell Styles
• To customize a specific cell style, right-click on the cell
with the desired style, and choose "Modify." You can
adjust font, alignment, border, and fill options.
• If none of the predefined styles suit your needs, you can
create a new custom style. In the "Cell Styles" dropdown,
select "New Cell Style" and define the formatting options.
• To remove cell formatting and revert to the default style,
select the cell or range, go to the "Home" tab, and click
"Clear" > "Clear Formats."
 Using Cell Styles for Consistency
• Cell styles help maintain a consistent look across your
Excel workbook, ensuring a professional appearance.

• Applying predefined styles saves time compared to

manually adjusting individual formatting settings.

• Cell styles are designed to work well with Excel themes,

providing a visually consistent appearance.
Conditional formatting
 Conditional Formatting
• Conditional formatting is used in Excel to visually
highlight and emphasize certain aspects of your data
based on specified conditions or rules.

• This feature is valuable for data analysis, making it

easier to identify trends, outliers, and patterns in your
spreadsheet.
 Some common scenarios for using
conditional formatting
• Highlight cells with values above or below a certain threshold.
• Quickly identify data points that exceed a target or fall below a
critical value.
• Apply color scales to compare values within a range.
• Easily visualize how data points compare to each other in terms of
magnitude.
• Use color gradients to highlight trends over time or across
categories.
• Identify patterns and trends in large datasets, such as sales figures or
stock prices.
 Some common scenarios for using
conditional formatting ..2
• Highlight the top or bottom values in a range.
• Quickly spot the highest or lowest values in a dataset.
• Use conditional formatting to highlight duplicate or
unique values.
• Identify and manage duplicate entries in your data.
• Apply formatting based on upcoming or past dates.
• Highlight deadlines, events, or overdue tasks based on
date values.
 Some common scenarios for using
conditional formatting ...3
• Use icon sets to visually represent data trends or
status.
• Display arrows, traffic lights, or other icons to convey
information about data values.
• Apply color-coding to cells based on specific criteria.
• Quickly distinguish between different categories or types
of data.
 Some common scenarios for using
conditional formatting ...4
• Highlight cells that don't meet certain validation
criteria.
• Ensure data integrity and identify errors or inconsistencies
in your dataset.
• Use custom formulas for more sophisticated
conditional formatting rules.
• Implement complex logic to highlight specific
combinations of conditions.
 Benefits of Conditional Formatting
• Visual cues make it easier to interpret data at a glance
• Highlighting specific conditions speeds up data
analysis and decision-making.
• Formatting changes automatically adjust as the
underlying data changes.
• Customize formatting to suit specific data analysis
needs and preferences.
• Quickly identify errors or outliers in datasets.
 Conditional Formatting
• allows you to format cells based on specific conditions or
rules, making it easier to visually interpret and analyze your
data
• Steps
• Highlight the cells or range
• On "Home" tab, Click on "Conditional Formatting" in the "Styles"
group.
• Choose a rule type based on your criteria
• Set Rule Parameters
• Apply Rule
 Common rule types
• Highlight Cells Rules: For values greater than, less
than, or between specific values.
• Top/Bottom Rules: Highlight the top or bottom
values in a range.
• Data Bars, Color Scales, Icon Sets: Visual
representations of data variations.
• New Rule: Create custom rules based on formulas.
Conditional Formatting
 Data Bars
• Use "Data Bars" to create bar charts within cells
based on the values in the selected range.

• Customize the appearance of data bars, such as the

color and bar direction.
 Color Scales
• Choose "Color Scales" under "Highlight Cells Rules"
to apply a gradient color scale to your data.

• Select "More Rules" to customize the color scale,

specifying the minimum and maximum values.
 Icon Sets
• Apply "Top/Bottom Rules" and choose "Icon Sets" to
display icons based on data values.

• Customize the icon set options, such as the number of

icons and their representations.
 Advanced Conditional Formatting
• Custom Formulas:
• Use custom formulas for more complex conditions.
• Select "New Rule" and choose "Use a formula to
determine which cells to format."
• Example: Highlight cells with values greater than 100
 Manage Rules
• In the "Conditional
Formatting" menu,
choose "Manage
Rules" to view and edit
existing rules.
 Managing rules
• Editing Rules
• Select the rule you want to edit and click "Edit Rule."
• Adjust the rule parameters and click "OK.“
• Clear Rules
• Use "Clear Rules" to remove Conditional Formatting from
selected cells or ranges.
 Take home message
• Conditional Formatting is a powerful tool for data
visualization and analysis in Excel.
• It helps highlight trends, outliers, and specific data
points, making it easier to interpret large datasets.
• Whether you're working with large datasets or
tracking specific metrics, conditional formatting helps
draw attention to key insights and trends in your
Excel spreadsheets.
Thank you