Excel 2013: Advanced Formatting Techniques

Get simple, powerful tips for making spreadsheet information readable and understandable in Excel 2013.

Get simple, powerful tips for making spreadsheet information readable and understandable in Excel 2013. Dennis Taylor shows how to emphasize specific cells with fonts, borders, and color; adjust the positioning of cell contents; format numeric data; and add style and readability to worksheets. You'll also learn how to add pictures to worksheets and discover automation techniques that take the drudgery out of formatting even the largest amounts of data.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files

1. Controlling Fonts, Borders, and Cell Color

• Adjusting fonts, font sizes, and font colors
• Applying underline, strikethrough, subscript, and superscript formatting
• Applying border styles and adjusting gridlines
• Using fill color and patterns for cell backgrounds

2. Alignment Tools

• Adjusting horizontal and vertical cell alignment
• Creating angled text variations for greater variety and readability
• Indenting data and dollar signs
• Simplifying title adjustments with the Merge & Center button
• Controlling titles and headings with the Wrap Text and Shrink to Fit options

3. Adjusting Numeric Formats Quickly

• Working with numeric formatting options
• Essential numeric formatting keystroke shortcuts
• Setting special formats for dates, times, phone numbers, ZIP codes, etc.
• Building custom numeric formats
• Building custom date formats

4. Accentuating Dynamic Data with Conditional Formatting

• Creating value-based formatting using logical operators
• Creating value-based formatting using data bars, color scales, and icons
• Creating formats based on formulas
• Conditional formatting in PivotTables

5. Tables, Styles, and Themes

• Working with tables
• Using styles and themes for consistent formatting

6. Row, Column, and Sheet Adjustments

• Adjusting single and multiple row heights and column widths without commands
• Working with rows, columns, and sheets
• Working with the Hide and Unhide options

7. Other Worksheet Formatting Tools

• Using the multipurpose Format Cells dialog box and the pop-up mini-toolbar
• Applying different formatting styles within the same cell
• Copying formats quickly with dragging techniques and the Format Painter
• Formatting text from Word or the web with the Justify feature

8. Displaying Data as an Outline

• Setting up data for outlining
• Using outlining symbols and levels

9. Adding Pictures

• Formatting picture styles
• Adding borders and effects to pictures
• Formatting sparklines for optimum impact
• Using WordArt for formatted titles and headings

10. Specialized Power Formatting Techniques

• Hiding repeating titles in a column to clarify printed output
• Restoring missing title data in a column
• Displaying large values without using formulas
• Creating linked worksheet images
• Formatting column and row titles
• Formatting a list for double-spaced printing

Conclusion

• Goodbye