The Excel Format Cell tool is an essential tool for every Excel spreadsheet user. In this presentation, we show why you need to know how to use it and how to format a spreadsheet for professional presentation and ease of navigation.

1. Excel 2010 Cell Formatting

2. Introduction
In this slideshow, we will use the Format Cells
dialog box to make spreadsheets look more
professional and easier to navigate.
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3. Why Format Cells
Many spreadsheets seem unprofessional
because:
•They don’t show the difference between
numbers, dates, and currencies
•They are difficult to navigate
•They are not professional to look at
Good cell formatting can cure all the above.
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4. Example SpreadSheet
• Cell format rules apply
to spreadsheets of all
size.
• In our sample
spreadsheet, there is no
formatting at all
– No alignment formatting
– No currency symbol
– No distinction between
items and totals
– No separation lines
between headings, items
and totals
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5. Cell Format Goals
In this presentation, we will show you how to
use the Excel cell format tool to
•Align cells
•Format for currency
•Create borders
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6. Using the Cell Format Tool
To use the cell format tool
•First select the cells to work on
•Right click to show the right click menu
•Select the Format Cells tool
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7. How to Select Cells
To select the cells you wish to format
•Click and drag the mouse across the cells that require
formatting.
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8. Activating the Format Cell Tool
To active the Format
Cell Tool
•Right click on the
selected cells
– The right click
menu will
appear
•Select the Format Cells
option
•The Format Cell tool
will appear
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9. The Format Cell Tool

10. Format Cell Tabs
The Format Cell tool dialog box contains several Tabs
•Number Tab – enables you to format cells for dates, decimal points,
currencies and many more
•Alignment Tab – enables you to format the cells to allow text to word wrap
within or merge cells to spread text across a set of cells which is excellent for
titles
•Font Tab – enables you to add a bit of colour and change the fonts used
•Border Tab – enables you to separate different sections of your spreadsheet
by use of different types of lines – an absolute must!
•Fill Tab – enables you to colour code your cells
•Protection Tab – enables you to lock tabs from changes for example if using
collaboration in Office 365

11. Alignment Tab Text Control
• The Alignment Tab can
be the trickiest to work
with, so we will have
more slides dedicated
to it.
• To use the Alignment
Tab, you first need to
know what you want to
do with the text in your
spreadsheet
– The Text Control section
can help you decide

12. Alignment Tab Text Presentation
• Once you have selected
the required Text
Control option, think
about how the text is to
appear within a cell.
• The Horizontal option is
for text display across a
cell.
• The Vertical option is
for text display up and
down a cell.
• Orientation (top right)
allows text to display at
an angle.

13. Alignment Tab in Use
• Used Text Control to merge selected cells A1 – G1
• Used Horizontal to centre title across merged cells
• Used Text Control to wrap text in selected cells A3-G3
• Used Vertical to align all text to the top of the cell

14. Format Cell Tabs in Use
Now that you’ve seen the Alignment Tab in use, we will briefly show you
the options for the other most commonly used Format Cell tabs:-
•The Number Tab
•The Fill and Font Tabs
•The Table Border Tab

15. The Number Tab
• Select the Number tab.
• A list of number types such as
Currency, Date, and Percentage
will appear.
• When you select one of these,
more detailed options will be
displayed.
• When you select Currency,
numbers can be displayed with
the £ or other currency symbol.
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16. The Fill & Font Tabs
• The Fill tab can be used to fill in
cells with solid or transparent
colour.
• Font changes the type or size of
font and lets you apply Bold,
Italic, Underline and other
textual formats.
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17. Table Border Tab
• Selecting the Border tab brings
up a picture representing the
cells you're working with.
• Click the picture to add or
remove a border from the edges
of your selected cells,.
• Colour, border thickness, line
style and the areas to be outlined
can all be changed.
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18. The Result

19. Format Cell Tips
Before using the Format Cell tool
•Know what you want to format and the look that you wish to create
•Create a copy of the file you wish to format (in case you get something
very wrong)
•Experiment with the various options
•Select all cells that require formatting
•Many of the Format Cell tool options are available as command buttons
in the Home Tab ribbon
– The command buttons may be quicker to use, rather than having to right click and
then select the appropriate tab.

20. Wrap Up
In this presentation, we’ve looked at how you can use the Format Cell tool:-
• To create professional looking spreadsheets
• To create easier to navigate spreadsheets