Excel 2019 Bible

CHAPTER 8Customizing the Excel User Interface

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Customizing the Quick Access toolbar
• Customizing the Ribbon

A software program's user interface consists of all the ways that the user interacts with the software. In Excel, the user interface consists of the following:

• The Ribbon
• The Quick Access toolbar
• Right-click shortcut menus
• Dialog boxes
• Task panes
• Keyboard shortcuts

This chapter describes how to make changes to two Excel user interface components: the Quick Access toolbar and the Ribbon. You might want to customize these elements to make Excel more suited to the way you use it.

Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar is always visible, regardless of which Ribbon tab is selected. After you customize the Quick Access toolbar, your frequently used commands will always be one click away.

NOTE

The only situation in which the Quick Access toolbar is not visible is in full-screen mode, which is enabled by clicking the Ribbon Display Options button in the Excel title bar and choosing Auto-Hide Ribbon. To display the Quick Access toolbar (and Ribbon) temporarily in full-screen mode, click the title bar or press the Alt key. To cancel full-screen mode, click the Ribbon Display Options button in the Excel title bar and choose Show Tabs or Show Tabs and Commands.

About the Quick Access toolbar

By default, the Quick Access toolbar is located on the left side of the Excel title bar, above the Ribbon (see Figure 8.1). Unless you customize ...