If you are like me, you like pretty spreadsheets!
Two features that I use on almost every single spreadsheet that I create are wrap text and column and row width adjustment.
Wrap Text is helpful for fields that have a lot of text in them, like a comments or notes column, for example. I like to apply wrap text to these fields so that I can see all the information on the page without super long column widths. To apply wrap text to a column, select the entire column and right click. Go to Format Cells. Click the Alignment tab and then check the box next to Wrap Text. Now you’ll notice the columns and rows may have adjusted a little to make room for all the text. You can now change the width of that row or column and the text will attempt to adjust with it.
The text doesn’t always fit perfectly after applying the wrap text feature, so another adjustment I make is auto-formatting the column width and row width. This is so easy! Select all the columns you wish to adjust. Now, find a line in between two of the columns. The line between A and B, for example. Double Click. Each column will automatically adjust to the appropriate width.
Apply the same technique to rows by selecting all the rows you want to adjust and double-clicking on a line in between the row numbers. Voila! Auto-adjusted!
Note: If you are not getting the exact result you expected, try auto adjusting the rows first, and then the columns.
If you are an Advocate Capital customer and need help preparing or manipulating data in the Excel application, feel free to contact me at BHardison@AdvocateCapital.com.
We love feedback from our customers and implement suggestions often. What shortcut do you use the most? If you have a question or idea for an Excel tip that you would like to see, let me know and I might write about it!
Training Specialist
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