Cell Formatting
By the Syncfusion DevTutorials team · Last updated
Change fonts, sizes, and colors, add fill colors and borders, and use cell styles to make a sheet easy to read.
A worksheet filled with plain numbers can be difficult to read. Simple formatting, such as bold headings, background colors, and borders, makes data easier to understand and more professional. In this lesson, you'll learn how to change fonts, adjust text size and color, apply fill colors, add borders, and use cell styles.
Open the Excel sandbox and follow along. Remember: select the cells first, then apply formatting.
Formatting changes how a cell looks, not what it contains. Whether a number is bold, colored, or highlighted, Excel still uses the same value in calculations.
Font Type
A font determines the appearance of text in a worksheet. Font tools are available in the Font group on the Home tab.
- Select the cells.
- Open the font list, which usually displays Calibri by default.
- Choose a font.
Use one or two professional fonts throughout a workbook for consistency. Fonts such as Calibri, Arial, and Segoe UI are commonly used because they are clear and easy to read.
Font Size
Font size is measured in points (pt). The default size for most worksheet data is 11 pt.
- Select the cells.
- Choose a size from the font size list, or type a size and press Enter.
A common formatting approach is:
- Worksheet title: 16–18 pt
- Column headings: 12 pt
- Data values: 11 pt
If the text becomes larger than the row can display, Excel automatically increases the row height.
Font Color
- Select the cells.
- Click the arrow next to Font Color (the A icon with a colored line underneath).
- Choose a color.
Font color is useful for emphasizing important values, such as displaying negative numbers in red. Most worksheet text should remain black or dark gray for readability.
You can also apply:
- Bold with Ctrl + B
- Italic with Ctrl + I
- Underline with Ctrl + U
Fill Color
Fill Color changes the background color of a cell.
- Select the cells.
- Click the arrow next to Fill Color (the paint bucket icon).
- Choose a color.
- Select No Fill to remove an existing fill color.
Applying a light fill color to the heading row is a quick way to make a table look more organized. Use light colors with dark text for the best readability.
Borders
The worksheet gridlines visible on screen do not print by default. To create visible printed lines, apply borders.
- Select the cells.
- Click the arrow next to the Borders button on the Home tab.
- Choose the border style you want.
| Border Type | Description |
|---|---|
| All Borders | Adds borders around every cell in the selected range |
| Outside Borders | Draws one border around the outer edge of the selection |
| Bottom Border | Adds a line below the selected cells |
| Thick Box Border | Creates a thick border around the outside of the selection |
| No Border | Removes existing borders |
You can also choose custom line styles and colors from the Borders menu.
Cell Styles
Cell Styles are predefined combinations of formatting, including fonts, fill colors, and borders.
- Select the cells.
- On the Home tab, click Cell Styles.
- Choose a style.
Common styles include:
- Title
- Heading 1
- Good
- Bad
- Total
These styles allow you to apply consistent formatting with a single click.
If the sandbox does not include a Cell Styles gallery, you can create the same appearance manually using bold text, fill colors, and borders.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Result | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Applying formatting before selecting cells | Only one cell is formatted | Select the required range before formatting |
| Expecting gridlines to print | The printed worksheet has no visible lines | Apply borders |
| Using bright fill colors throughout the sheet | The worksheet becomes difficult to read | Use light colors only where needed |
| Making all data bold | Headings no longer stand out | Apply bold formatting only to headings |
| Reducing font size to fit more information on screen | Printed output becomes difficult to read | Use Zoom for viewing and keep data at a standard size |
Exercise
Click Reset in the sandbox header and enter the following data:
- A1:
Weekly Sales - A2:
Day, B2:Sales - A3:
Mon, B3:120 - A4:
Tue, B4:95 - A5:
Wed, B5:140
Then complete each task and select Check.
What to Remember
- Font, size, color, fill color, and border tools are located on the Home tab.
- Always select cells before applying formatting.
- Use one or two fonts consistently throughout a workbook.
- Standard worksheet data is usually 11 pt, while titles are larger.
- Fill Color changes the cell background.
- Gridlines do not print; apply Borders when printed lines are needed.
- Cell Styles apply multiple formatting options with a single click.
- Formatting changes a cell's appearance but does not change its value.
In the next lesson, you'll learn how to align text, wrap long entries, merge cells, and rotate text.