Microsoft Excel 365 Bible

CHAPTER 5Formatting Worksheets

IN THIS CHAPTER

1. Understanding how formatting can improve your worksheets
2. Getting to know the formatting tools
3. Using formatting in your worksheets
4. Using conditional formatting
5. Using named styles for easier formatting
6. Understanding document themes

Formatting your worksheet is more than just making your worksheet pretty. Proper formatting can help users understand the purpose of the worksheet and help prevent data entry errors.

Stylistic formatting isn't essential for every workbook that you develop, especially if it's only for your own use. On the other hand, it takes only a few moments to apply some simple formatting, and after you apply it, the formatting will remain in place without further effort on your part.

Getting to Know the Formatting Tools

Figure 5.1 shows how even simple formatting can significantly improve a worksheet's readability. The unformatted worksheet (on the left) is perfectly functional but not very readable compared to the formatted worksheet (on the right).

This workbook is available on this book's website at www.wiley.com/go/excel365bible. The file is named loan payments.xlsx.

The Excel cell formatting tools are available in three locations.

• On the Home tab of the Ribbon
• On the Mini toolbar that appears when you right-click a selected range or a cell
• From the Format Cells dialog box

FIGURE 5.1 Simple ...