Microsoft® Excel® 2010 Formulas & Functions Inside Out

Applying Conditional Formatting

To make data easier to interpret, use the conditional formatting feature to automatically format the data. With conditional formats, values are selected if they meet certain criteria, and the cell range is formatted accordingly. Conditional formats visually highlight the distribution and variation of data.

With regard to our example, the condition could be “Format in green all cells in the Profit Margin column that contain a value of at least $200,000.” To enter this format, perform the following steps:

1. Select the cell range in the Profit Margin column.

2. Click the Conditional Formatting button in the Style group on the Home tab, and then click New Rule (see Figure 1-32).

   Figure 1-32. Creating a new rule.

3. In the New Formatting ...