Excel Formatting Tips

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Excel Formatting Tips

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Move the Color and Borders Palettes

Note: This tip works in Excel 2003 and earlier versions only.

While working on a worksheet, you might want to colour a few of the cells, change the font colour for the text, or add borders to a range of cells. To add colour, you select a cell, click on the dropdown arrow at the right side of the colour button on the toolbar, and click on a colour.

That’s simple enough, but all those trips up and down from the toolbar can get a bit tiring, and take extra time.

To Save Time, Move the Palettes

If you have lots of formatting to do, it will be easier if the palettes are closer to the area where you’re working. You can detach the palettes from the toolbar, and move them onto the worksheet.

To move one of the “tear away” palettes (Font Color, Fill Color, Borders):

On the toolbar, click the dropdown arrow, to open the palette.

At the top of the palette, point to the thin grey bar.

When your pointer changes to a four-headed arrow, drag the palette down onto the worksheet.

When you’ve finished working with the palette, click the X at its top right, to close it.

Watch the Steps on Video

And here’s my short video, if you’d like to see the steps performed on screen:

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Debra Dalgleish

Table of Contents Table of Contents	Move the Color and Borders Palettes Note: This tip works in Excel 2003 and earlier versions only. While working on a worksheet, you might want to colour a few of the cells, change the font colour for the text, or add borders to a range of cells. To add colour, you select a cell, click on the dropdown arrow at the right side of the colour button on the toolbar, and click on a colour. That’s simple enough, but all those trips up and down from the toolbar can get a bit tiring, and take extra time. To Save Time, Move the Palettes If you have lots of formatting to do, it will be easier if the palettes are closer to the area where you’re working. You can detach the palettes from the toolbar, and move them onto the worksheet. To move one of the “tear away” palettes (Font Color, Fill Color, Borders):


	On the toolbar, click the dropdown arrow, to open the palette. At the top of the palette, point to the thin grey bar. When your pointer changes to a four-headed arrow, drag the palette down onto the worksheet.
	When you’ve finished working with the palette, click the X at its top right, to close it. Watch the Steps on Video And here’s my short video, if you’d like to see the steps performed on screen: