Changing the Look of Cells

Applying colors, borders and patterns to your workbook can help distinguish between different types of information, making your data easier to read. Borders can be used to create lines to separate data. Use color and patterns to make a section of your workbook stand out.

To change colors, borders, and patterns:

1. Select the cell you want to change.
2. Select Cells... from the Format menu:
   1. To change borders: click the Border tab and make your changes.
   2. To change color and patterns: click the Patterns tab and make your changes.
3. Click OK to accept your changes.

Use the Format Painter button on the Formatting toolbar to quickly copy formatting from one cell to another.

You can greatly improve the appearance of your workbook by adding formatting to certain text elements, such as headers and titles. You can format text by changing the font, adding character effects, changing the font size, and changing the font color. You can accomplish all these tasks from the Formatting toolbar. To format text:

1. Select the cell you want to change.
2. To change the font: click the arrow next to the Font box on the Formatting toolbar and click the font you want.
3. To change the font size: click the arrow next to the Font Size box on the Formatting toolbar and click the size you want.
4. To change the font color: click the arrow next to the Font Color button on the Formatting toolbar and click the color you want.
5. To change character effects: click the
   Bold button ,
   Italic button , or
   Underline button on the Standard toolbar.

• To open the Format Cells dialog box, you can also right-click a cell and select Format Cells... from the shortcut menu.
• On the Formatting toolbar, you can also:
  • Use the Borders button to quickly add borders to a cell.
  • Use the Fill button to add a background color to a cell.