Here's a topic I've avoided for some time.  That's because what looks 'good' is a matter of opinion, right?  What one person likes differs from the next.  It's all subjective ... or is it?

 

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With Excel, I've come to realise, over the years, this isn't the case.  Yes, though the finer points of spreadsheet presentation will always be a matter of debate, you can do some things to guarantee your spreadsheet looks better.

 

 

It's not just about Excel 'looking' better, however; an effectively formatted spreadsheet encourages people to engage with the data.  In fact, that's the only purpose of formatting in Excel: to help people understand the story of the data.  It's one way for your data analysis to have more impact.

 

 

With that said, let's look at 14 easy Excel formatting tips you can start using today.

 

14 EXCEL FORMATTING TIPS

 

00:00 Introduction

01:28 Leave a few rows at the top / columns on the right

02:14 Ensure column widths are consistent (a unit?)

03:33 Change default font (use Arial?)

04:33 Adjust row heights (competing with text?)

04:38 Ensure Consistent row heights are consistent (14.4?)

05:43 Wrap text

06:20 Use a comment (avoid long headers)

07:09 Consider hiding columns

07:43 Have a colour scheme (one colour!)

08:02 Use dark colour with white text (as an alternative)

11:08 Consider differentiation in font size (for page title?)

11:48 Use horizontal borders only 

12:36 Switch off gridlines (for a clean look)

12:54 Consider different line styles (heavier at top / on left)

 

Any formatting tips I haven't covered in this video?  Leave me a comment on YouTube, I will get back to you there.