Applying Cell Formatting in Excel

A Beginner’s Guide to Formatting Cells in Excel

Excel is a powerful tool that can transform raw data into insightful information, but a lot hinges on the way you present that data. We’ve all had the experience of staring at a spreadsheet and feeling overwhelmed by it. When cells are not properly formatted, it becomes easy to lose track of critical facts. Simple formatting adjustments can make a big difference in clarity and impact!

Cell formatting in Excel enables you to change the layout of your data in a variety of ways, making it easier to emphasize essential data and organize your work visually. Proper formatting can transform cluttered, difficult-to-read spreadsheets into clear, orderly documents. Sorting data and choosing appropriate layouts serve to highlight important points, attract attention to patterns, and make your data easy to draw inferences from.

Let’s look at the processes for formatting cells in Excel and how to utilize tools to improve the readability and appearance of your content.

Adjusting Font Style and Size

One of the basic cell formatting options in Excel is changing the font style and size. Excel has a variety of font styles to pick from, including sans-serif, serif, script, ornamental, and more, each with properties that alter the presentation of your data. For example, sans-serif typefaces such as Arial and Verdana are popular due to their clean and modern appearance, while serif typefaces like Times New Roman and Georgia provide a more classic and conventional feel.

Change the Font Style

1. Navigate to the Home tab in the Excel ribbon.
2. Select your preferred font style by clicking the font drop-down menu in the Font group.
3. You can also change the font size by choosing a size from the drop-down menu next to the font style.

Larger font sizes are ideal for headers, whilst smaller sizes are better suited for details. Finding the correct balance between readability and space is essential for producing a clean, professional spreadsheet.

Modifying Font and Background Colors

Modifying the color of your text and cells allows you to highlight important data points at a glance.

Adjust Font Color

1. In the Font group, select the Font Color icon.
2. Choose a color from the palette or “More Colors” for a custom color.

To modify the background color of a cell, locate the Fill Color tool, which is next to the font color button. This lets you choose a solid color as the background for your selected cells — very useful when you want to distinguish between different types of data. Select soft colors for a gentle appearance or go bright to highlight key data points.

Applying Text Effects

Excel offers text effects like bold, underline, and italics that help highlight specific information. These effects are simple to use and can give your spreadsheet a clean, professional appearance. 

1. To apply the Italic, Bold, or Underline effects to the selected text, click on the corresponding buttons in the Font group.
2. Alternatively, use these keyboard shortcuts:

• Ctrl + B for bold
• Ctrl + I for italics
• Ctrl + U for underline

Text Alignment in Cells

Text alignment in a cell can significantly impact the readability of your data. For example, you could left align text-based data, center align titles or headings, and right align numerical data to give your spreadsheet a cleaner appearance and make it easier to scan. 

Besides the horizontal alignment, you can also change the vertical alignment of your text. This option is useful when you have huge cells with multiple lines of text. You can position your text at the middle, top, or bottom of the cell. Middle alignment is often preferred for readability, but top or bottom alignment may be more suitable according to the structure of your data.

Align the Text

1. Select the cells to be aligned.
2. For horizontal alignment: In the Alignment group on the Home tab, select Center, Left, or Right alignment.
3. For vertical alignment: In the Alignment group on the Home tab, select Middle, Top, or Bottom alignment.
   

Using Cell Borders

Borders can help arrange your data and make it easier to read. They’re very useful for dividing portions of a worksheet or emphasizing important areas.

Add Borders to Cells

1. In the Font group, select the Borders button.
2. Choose from the given border options as appropriate, including line patterns and thicknesses.

Borders can enhance the visual appeal of your data, giving it a polished and professional finish. 

The Format Painter Tool

The Format Painter tool serves as one of Excel’s most useful capabilities for swiftly applying uniform formatting across multiple worksheets. It instantly copies the formatting of one cell and applies the same formatting to other cells as required.

1. Select the cell with the formatting you want to copy.
2. Click the Format Painter button in the Clipboard group on the Home tab.
3. Click on the cell or drag over the cells where you want to apply the same formatting.

Armed with these skills, you’re ready to give your data the polished look it deserves!

Tips and Tricks for Efficient Cell Formatting in Excel

Cell formatting plays a crucial role in making your data more presentable and easier to understand. With the right cell formatting techniques, you can highlight important information, improve readability, and create visually appealing spreadsheets in Excel.

1. Utilize Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting is a robust tool that allows you to automatically apply specific formatting to cells based on certain criteria. This can be extremely helpful when dealing with enormous sets of data as it can quickly spot patterns or outliers. You can apply conditional formatting to point out cells that fulfill specific criteria, such as values larger and helps pinpoint trends and anomalies.

2. Merge and Center Cells

Merging cells is an effective way to combine multiple cells into one large cell, commonly used for headings or titles in tables and charts. It brings uniformity to your spreadsheet by aligning the text at the center of merged cells. To merge cells, select the desired cells and click on the Merge & Center button under the Home tab.

3. Use Cell Styles

Cell styles are predefined combinations of font, borders, colors, and other attributes that make it easy for you to format your data consistently throughout the spreadsheet. They save time by allowing you to apply multiple formatting options with just one click instead of manually adjusting each element separately.

4. Explore Number Formatting Options

Excel offers various options for customizing how numbers are displayed in a cell, including currency symbol placement, decimal places, date formats, etc. These features come in handy when working with financial data or dates as they allow consistency throughout the entire spreadsheet without having to manually adjust each cell individually.

5. Freeze Panes

When working with large datasets that require scrolling vertically or horizontally across the spreadsheet, it can be difficult to keep track of row or column labels. Freezing panes lets you lock distinct rows and columns so that they remain visible even when you scroll through other parts of the spreadsheet. This is a useful feature for maintaining context and avoiding confusion while working with extensive data.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Excel

There are a few common errors made when formatting cells in Excel, which can lead to chaos and frustration while trying to organize and analyze data.

1. Loss of Data When Merging Cells 

One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make is merging cells without fully understanding the implications. Merging cells in Excel combines two or more cells into a single larger cell. However, only the content from the upper-left cell is retained, and any data in the other cells is lost. This can create issues when sorting or filtering data, as well as with formulas and functions that depend on the individual cells, potentially leading to errors or inaccuracies. Merge cells only when necessary and carefully consider how it might affect your data structure and functionality.

2. Overly Complex Formats

Another mistake beginners often make is creating overly complex formats for their data. While it may seem tempting to create elaborate borders, colors, and fonts for every cell, this can actually make your spreadsheet difficult to read and navigate. Keep your formatting easy and uniform throughout your document for a clean and organized look.

3. Using Blank Rows or Columns

Many beginners add blank rows or columns within their data set for spacing purposes. However, this can cause problems when using features like filtering or sorting, as these blank rows or columns will also be included in the action. Instead of using blank rows or columns, adjust the height or width of existing rows/columns for spacing.

4. Not Using Cell Protection

Sometimes you may want certain cells in your spreadsheet to remain unchanged while making changes in other areas. For example, you may have a formula in one cell that you do not want accidentally altered by someone else editing the spreadsheet. To prevent this from happening, use cell protection on these specific cells by going to Format > Cells > Protection > Locked.

5. Not Making Use of Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting is a powerful tool in Excel that automatically applies formatting to cells based on predefined conditions or criteria. This makes it easier to highlight trends, patterns, or outliers in your data without manually reviewing each entry.  Take advantage of this feature to streamline your formatting process and make your data more visually appealing.

6. Inconsistent Data Types

When working with numbers and text, it is important to use the correct data type for each cell. Mixing data types within a column can cause issues with sorting and filtering, as Excel may not recognize the data correctly. For example, a column with some numbers and some text may be sorted alphabetically instead of numerically. Make sure to use consistent data types within each column for accurate analysis.

7. Excessive Decimal Places

Another common mistake beginners make is using too many decimal places in their numbers, making the spreadsheet cluttered and hard to read. Instead of using all available decimals, only use as many as necessary for accuracy (usually 2-3 for most situations). You can always adjust the number of decimals shown by using the Number Format dropdown menu in the Home tab.

Having explored some common pitfalls to watch out for in Excel, let’s now shift focus to optimizing and reusing your work by effectively recycling Excel file formats. 

Reusing Excel Formatting

After taking the time to format your Excel worksheet, you probably don’t want to repeat that process for each new worksheet. Luckily, there are several ways to recycle your formatting and save yourself time and effort.

One method is to copy styles between workbooks. This is useful when you have already formatted one workbook and want to apply the same formatting to another. To do this, open both workbooks and click on Cell Styles in the Styles group on the Home tab. Then, select Merge Styles at the bottom of the gallery. In the dialog box that shows up, choose the open workbook that contains your desired styles and click OK. Your formatting will then be applied to your new workbook.

If you only want to copy formatting from one column or cell to another without copying values, you can use a different method. Start by selecting the destination cells, then right-click on the border of a cell with your preferred formatting. Drag it over to the target cells and release it when a submenu appears. From here, select Copy Here as Formats Only. This will leave your cells blank but with all of your desired formatting.

Another way to copy formatting is with the Paste function. First, select and copy (Ctrl+C) your original cell with the desired formatting. Click anywhere within your destination cells and press Ctrl+Spacebar or Shift+Spacebar, depending on whether you want to paste into a whole column or row respectively. Then, choose Formatting from the Paste dropdown menu. The Live Preview element will allow you to preview how your applied formats will look before confirming the changes.

Utilizing these techniques for formatting Excel files can greatly improve efficiency and reduce repetitive tasks. Working smarter instead of harder will ensure consistent results and save valuable time. 

Excel offers versatile file formatting options, but let’s explore how Savant, with its advanced features and ease of use, takes data formatting to the next level.

Savant vs. Excel: Modern Analytics Without the Manual Work

For years, Excel has been the go-to tool for data operations, but as analytics needs have evolved, its limitations have become increasingly apparent. While Excel is great at handling small datasets and quick calculations, it falls short when it comes to scalability, automation, and governance.
Savant offers a modern analytics solution that: 

• Automates complex calculations, reducing errors and saving time.
• Can effortlessly process millions of rows of data unlike Excel, which struggles with large datasets.
• Streamlines end-to-end analytics workflows from data ingestion to transformation and insights.
• Ensures secure, auditable, and controlled access to data with centralized governance.

As businesses demand faster, more reliable analytics, moving beyond Excel to a platform like Savant is a necessity to stay competitive.

Savant aims to simplify data operations with its powerful tools and intuitive no-code interface. Adjust entire datasets in one go — rename columns, hide fields, update data types, clean messy data, and normalize large datasets with just a few clicks.

​For teams that need to process and format large volumes of data quickly and accurately, Savant offers a faster, more efficient solution compared to Excel, saving both time and effort.

Looking for a quicker, more efficient way to handle and format your data? Contact us now!

Also Read: Mastering Data Validation in Google Sheets: Essential Tips for Beginners

FAQs

1. How do I change the font size in Excel?

To modify the font size, choose the cell or set of cells you want to format. Then, on the Home tab, look for the Font Size option in the Font group. Select a size from the dropdown or type it in yourself for finer control.

2. Can I change the background color of a cell?

Yes! To change the background color of a cell, choose the cell to format. In the Font group of the Home tab, select Fill Color and choose a color from the palette.

3. What is the Format Painter tool in Excel?

The Format Painter tool enables you to duplicate the formatting from one cell and reapply it to another. To use it, select the cell containing the formatting you want to replicate, then click the Format Painter icon and drag over the cells you would like to format.  

4. How does Savant improve data formatting compared to Excel?  

Savant provides no-code tools that let you format huge datasets rapidly and consistently. Unlike Excel, Savant allows for large-scale formatting with just a few clicks, saving time and reducing errors.

5. Can Savant handle complex data formatting tasks?

Yes! Savant is built to handle complicated data preparation and transformation. It’s effective at processes like standardizing data from different sources and providing uniform formatting to enormous datasets, which would take significantly longer on Excel.