6. Formatting Cells:

Providing guidance on formatting cells for better presentation.


Formatting cells in Excel is an essential aspect of creating visually appealing and organized spreadsheets. By applying various formatting options, users can enhance the presentation of their data and make it easier to understand. This comprehensive guide will cover several formatting techniques that can be used to improve cell presentation in Excel.

  1. Font Formatting:

    • Bold: To make text stand out, select the desired cells and press “Ctrl + B” or use the font formatting options in the Home tab. Alternatively, you can use HTML tags by wrapping the text with and .
    • Italic: Similarly, you can emphasize text by applying italic formatting. Use “Ctrl + I” or the font formatting options to apply italics. In HTML, wrap the text with and .
    • Underline: To underline text, select the cells and press “Ctrl + U” or use the font formatting options. In HTML, wrap the text with and .
    • Strikethrough: To strike through text, select the cells and press “Ctrl + 5” or use the font formatting options. In HTML, wrap the text with and .

  2. Alignment:

    • Horizontal Alignment: Excel provides options to align cell contents horizontally. Use the alignment buttons in the Home tab or right-click on selected cells, choose Format Cells, and go to the Alignment tab.
    • Vertical Alignment: Similarly, you can align cell contents vertically using the alignment options mentioned above.

  3. Number Formatting:

    • Decimal Places: To specify decimal places for numeric values, select the cells and use the Number Format dropdown in the Home tab or right-click on selected cells and choose Format Cells.
    • Currency Symbols: You can add currency symbols to numbers by selecting the cells and using the currency formatting options.
    • Date and Time Formatting: Excel offers various date and time formats to choose from. Select the cells, right-click, choose Format Cells, and go to the Number tab to select the desired format.

  4. Cell Borders:

    • Thick Borders: To apply thick borders around cells, select the desired cells and use the border formatting options in the Home tab.
    • Custom Borders: Excel allows users to apply custom borders by selecting specific sides of a cell and choosing different line styles.

  5. Cell Background:

    • Fill Color: To change the background color of cells, select them and use the fill color options in the Home tab.
    • Patterns: Excel provides various pattern options for cell backgrounds. Select the cells, right-click, choose Format Cells, and go to the Fill tab to apply patterns.

  6. Conditional Formatting:

    • Conditional formatting allows users to automatically format cells based on specific conditions or rules. It can be accessed through the Home tab or by right-clicking on selected cells and choosing Conditional Formatting.

Remember that these formatting techniques can be combined to create more visually appealing and professional-looking spreadsheets in Excel.