Excel 2016: Conditional Formatting in Depth

Learn how to use Excel's conditional formatting to highlight data dynamically, to emphasize key results or spot trends and patterns in your spreadsheets.

Excel's conditional formatting feature allows you to highlight data based on cell contents, making it easy to spot trends and patterns and emphasize key results. Though this process can be quick and easy, many Excel users don't know how to use conditional formatting to its fullest potential. In this brief course, Excel trainer Dennis Taylor walks you through how to apply and customize conditional formatting to quickly pinpoint variances in your data. Dennis begins with a demonstration of how to format based on cell content or formulas. Next, he shows how to go beyond Excel's default formatting (cell highlighting) by using data bars, icon sets, and color scales. Lastly, Dennis shows how to apply conditional formatting across rows, including how to highlight PivotTable results and incorporate check boxes and data validation pick lists to create dynamic visual displays.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files

1. Conditional Formatting Based on Content or Formulas

• Formatting based on Highlight Cell Rules options
• Formatting based on unique or duplicate values
• Formatting based on Top/Bottom Rules options
• Formatting based on formulas
• Editing rule descriptions

2. Conditional Formatting Using Data Bars, Color Scales, and Icon Sets

• Using data bars to display length or volume
• Using color scales to display relative differences
• Using icon sets to provide strong visual emphasis

3. Specialized Conditional Formatting Uses

• Applying conditional formatting across rows of data
• Highlighting PivotTable results
• Using data validation pick lists and conditional formatting for dynamic visual displays
• Using conditional formatting to apply banded rows
• Locating conditional formatting cells

Conclusion

• Next steps