How to Format Text and Formatting Cells in Ms.Excel

You can enter data that is text , numbers and formulas in excel cells. When data is not fitting within the current column width, you can adjust with as mentioned  below.

Click on the column label to select the entire column.

Choose auto fit selection from column command available in the format menu.

Note that:  This would check for the longest entry in selected column and based on the entry would automatically adjust the column width accordingly.

Thus , the longest entry is display fully in the column width. Alternatively you can use as below.

1.  Select the column width by clicking on the label name.

2. Choose width option from column command from format menu.

3.  A dialog displays , specified column width in number and click ok button to execute the command.

Formatting cells:

When you enter numeric data in excel cells , you may notice some of the columns have decimal places and some do not also it is not easy to read long number without commas(,).

1.    Highlight all the columns containing numbers (numeric data).

2.   Choose cells command from the format menu.

3.   Choose no folio option from the category list.

4.   Specify two decimal places.

5.   Click here the symbol , to have commas after every third digit.

6.   Click ok button to executes the command on the format cells menu tool bar.

You can find different folios such as

•  Numbers
•  Alignment
•  Font
•  Borders
•  pattern
•  production

Currency Notation :

 If you want to display the currency symbol as a prefix for the numbers entered in the cells , you can give the commands as follows.

1.                  Highlight the column range that you wish to format.

2.                  Select cells command from format menu .

3.                  Select currency from the category list.

4.                   Choose the symbol that you want.

5.                  Choose number of decimals.

6.                  Choose the way the negative numbers are to be displayed and click ok button to execute the command.

7.                  Note that: If you do not find Rs. currency symbol and choose control panel some Ms – office short cut tool bar , double click on regional setting so that a dialog box appears click on the currency folio and type Rs. In the currency symbol window and click ok.

Column auto fit :

In case you notice that in some places you are getting hash symbol(#)instead no ., it means that the current column with is not Sufficient to display the entire contents , that is no’s along with the applied format then simply use auto fit selection command from the column command in format menu.

You can also use bold , underline , italic commands that are available in format menu under cells command . choose font folio and you can select the desired font , font style and font size etc..

Aligning data :

All the text entries are generally left aligned of all numeric entries are automatically right aligned within the cells. The default alignment can be change , if you want

1.                  Highlight the range for which you wish to change the alignment .

2.                  Choose cells command from format menu.

3.                  Choose alignment folio.

4.                  Click here to select the required alignment and click ok button to continue.

It is good practice to see print preview of your page before you take out printout. For that, click print preview icon are choose print preview command from file menu.