Improve the presentation of your worksheet
Often, you have to present the results of your spreadsheet to other people.
There are several possibilities to improve the presentation. Excel offers you
these options in two different ways: by using the Format toolbar or from the
main menu under the Format and Cell options.
Format toolbar
If you don't see this toolbar in the screen, make the following operations.
 From
the Edit menu, select the Toolbar option.
From
the list of the toolbars that are available on you, select the one named Format.
The Format toolbar groups together several possibilities.
You can change the font as well as its size. You can also put the text in bold,
italic or underlined.
You can align the text or the number in the cell to the left, the middle or
to the right side of the cell. You can also align the text on to several columns.
This is designed to align a main title over several columns. Write the text
in the cell to the leftmost of cells that you want to center. Make a block of
all the cells in that you want to center the text. The leftmost cell should
be the one that contains the text to be centered. Then press on the fourth button
for the alignment, that the one with the letter " a " and two horizontal arrows.
You can also change the presentation of the numbers in cells. You can place
the monetary format with two decimals, or the percentage format, or group together
numbers by the thousands. You can also add or remove decimals in the presentation.
But this is only for presentation purposes. It doesn't affect the real number
in the cell. For example, if the true number of the cell is 12,4 and that you
want to present it without decimal, the number that will appear in the cell
will be 12. However Excel will use the "true" value to make any calculations.
So, the result of the cell multiplied by 5 will not be 60 (5 * 12) but really
62 (5 * 12,4).
You can also change the presentation of the cell itself. You can frame the
cells,or a group of cells, with various types of lines. You can also change
the background color and the pattern for the cell. As the last option on this
toolbar, you can also change the color of the text. It can be for one letter
or the entire content of a cell.
Format of the cell
The are other ways of changing the presentation of your file. In the main menu
under the menu Format and Cell options, you will find all the options to change the presentation, including others that are not in the
Format toolbar. You'll find all the options under the following six tabs.
Select
a cell or a range of cells.
From
the Format menu, select the Cell option.
If
it's not already done, select the Numbers tab.
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In this window, there are six tabs that offer
all the possibilities for the presentation of cells. As you go to see, there
are a lot more options than what is available from the Format toolbar.
Under the first tab you will find the options to change the presentation
of numbers. In the categories box, there are several styles of presentation
for numbers and text. You can even personalize the presentation according
to your needs. In the right part of the window, you have options according
to the style of presentation that you chose. In the image on the left side,
you can determine the number of decimals that will be shown, the monetary
symbol and the color of the number if it's negative. You can even personalize
the numbers according to your needs. |
Click
on the Alignment tab.
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From this window, you can adjust the adaptation
of the text inside the cell. You can paste the text on the straight or to
the left or right side of the cell's border, in the height, middle or in
the bottom the cell. One of the new options allows you to change the orientation
of the text. You can also give an angle to your text! This is interesting
for titles and some descriptions. However don't exaggerate its use.
From this window, it's also possible to merge or to " defuze" cells.
To merge, it's first necessary to make a block with cells. Then, come
to the window to the left to activate the " Merge cells " option. To remove
the fusion, deselect the last option. |
Click
on the Font tab.
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To leave this window, you can change the presentation
of the characters of the cell. You can change the font, its style, its size,
the background and the color of the text from the other options. |
Click
on the Border tab.
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From this window, you can determine the outline
of a cell or of a range of cells. You can choose the style of line (none,
simple, double, thick...) and the color of your choice of the right-hand
side of the window. Of the left-hand side, you indicate the place you want
the line by pressing on one of the buttons surrounding the outline. You
can also click inside the outline to fix lines. |
Click
on the Patterns tab.
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Excel offers you also the possibility of changing
the thorough color of cells and even to put it a pattern. Be sure that the
text remains always legible even with a pattern. |
Click
on the Protection tab.
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This tab is very practical when you want to
present a file that other people may use. It's very possible that you don't want them to change your Formulas. You can protect cells containing
your Formulas, or even to hide them. The protection is made in two stages.
You indicate to Excel the cells that you want to unprotect. It's
the cells that the others will be#able use to enter numbers or text. All
other cells will be locked and cannot be changed. |
The second stage consists in protecting the worksheet or all the spreadsheet.
When you'll have to unprotect the appropriate cells:
From
the Tools menu, select the Protection option.
Excel offers you the choice to protect the worksheet, the spreadsheet ( the
file) or to be able to share the document with the other people.
For
the moment, select the worksheet option.
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You can determine the elements of the sheet
that you want to be protected. You can also put in a password to protect
the worksheet or the file. It's however not compulsory. You can leave the
empty box and the sheet will be always protected until it somebody removes
the protection. Don't worry if you put the protection and forget the password.
There are software or macro for Excel that exists "to crack" the password.
It's going to take only a few seconds to discover and remove it. To find
these software, use a research site and look the words crack or password
and excel.
Be careful!
You cannot "crack" a password of a document without having first the permission
from the owner of the file. Otherwise, you're in big trouble!!! |
Try
to change the contents of a cell.
As soon as you go to try to change a value, Excel will present you the message
above. The software warns you that this worksheet is protected and that you
cannot change the contents of protected cells. For the moment, remove the protection
on the worksheet.
From
the Tools menu, select the Protection option.
Select the Remove the protection of the sheet option.
Copy the presentation format
These last options offered to change all the options of the presentation. There
is however a faster way to apply presentation style to other cells. You just
have to copy an existing presentation style that's already in another cell by
using the  button. The next exercise demonstrates how to use this option.
Enter the text following in the appropriate cells.
If you don't see the toolbar with the button:
From the Edit menu, select the Toolbar option.
Of the list of the available toolbars, activate the Standard toolbar.
It's first necessary to apply a presentation style to a cell.
Place the cursor in the B1 cell.
Press
the button  .
It's now necessary to copy this format of presentation in the other
cells of the example.
Make sure that the active cell is the B1 cell.
It's the format of presentation of this cell that will be copied
on the others.
Press the button
.
Click on the C1 cell.
The format presentation style for January was copied on to February. It would
have also been easy to apply the format to a range of cells such as for every
month. The problem with this technique is that it's necessary to press the button
every time you want to copy the presentation style. This is not practical
for several blocks of cells.
The designers of Excel found an easy method to apply the same presentation
style to several blocks. The next exercise consists of applying a presentation
style to several separate cells.
Make sure that the active cell is the B1 cell.
Double-click on the button
.
To click twice the button
will not be enough. It's necessary that you double-click.
Click on the D1 cell.
Make
a block with cells A3 for A5.
Press
again on the button
to deactivate the option.
You now see how easy it's to quickly prepare a presentation for your spreadsheet.
There is an even faster way: the automatic format.
Autoformat
You can spend a lot of time to try to improve the presentation of a file. Excel
offers you predefined formats for presentation. It's enough to apply the presentation
style of your choice to the area of cells that you want.
Select
the area of your worksheet that you want to change the presentation.
From
the Format menu, select the Autoformat option.
Select
the format of your choice for the range of cells you selected.
Press the OK button.
Here is what could look like your data by using one of the formats available.
It took only a moment.
Conditional format
The conditional format allows to change the presentation
only when a series of events apply. For the example below, you want that the
available quantity changes the red when the quantity is lower than the minimal
quantity. It makes easier to notice the number and to command or to produce
the others.
Enter
the text and the following numbers the appropriate cells.
Note:
To be able to enter several lines of text in the same cell, you must use the Alt and Enter keys.
Place
the cursor in the A2 cell.
From
the Format menu, select the Conditional Formatting option.
You must now write a condition and to choose a kind of presentation when this
condition occurs.
For
the first box, leave the option to The value of the cell is.
The second box determines the kind of condition. As you notice it's very complete
list.
For
the second box, select the Less than condition.
For this condition, you want to compare it with the contents of the B2 cell.
For
the third box, write in the box =B2.
OR
Press
the  button in
at the right of the box.
Select
the B2 cell.
Press
the  button.
It's also possible to add up to 3 conditions and to change the presentation
under different circumstances. You just need to press the Add button to add
another condition. For the moment, there are no need for another condition.
Press the OK button.
The conditional format is placed in the A2 cell. It's time to test it.
Change
the number of the cell A2 to 50.
Here is the result. The number is now in red. This happens only when the number
of this cell is lower than the minimal quantity declared in B2 cell.
You can add conditions or remove them. Experiment with different numbers and
think where you could apply this option in your models.
Excel also allows you to copy the conditional format with the button.
The relative and absolute references apply also
to the conditional format. In the last example, there is a difference between =B2 and =$B$2 when you go to copy the format on to other cells.
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Use Microsoft Office 2007 Like A Pro!
Change the font as well as the size and color of the text in the cells.