When you start working on a worksheet, all the rows and columns are the same size. As you enter information into the worksheet, you will quickly discover that some of the columns or rows are not large enough to display the information they contain. This lesson explains how to change the width of a column and the height of a row.
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Carefully position the pointer over the line between the B and C in the column header area, until it changes to a .Once the pointer is positioned over the column line and appears as a , you can adjust the column width to make it smaller or wider.
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Click and hold the mouse button and drag the line to the right untilColumn B is wide enough to see all of the Type labels, as shown in Figure 3-6.
Notice that while you are dragging the column line, a tip box appears displaying the current width of the column.
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Position the pointer over the line between the D and E in the column header area until it changes to a , then double-click the left mouse button.Excel automatically adjusts the width of the selected column so that it can hold the widest cell entry. This neat feature is called AutoFit. You can also use AutoFit by selecting Format → Column (or Row) → AutoFit from the menu.
The procedure for adjusting the height of a row is almost the same as adjusting the width of a column:
Figure 3-6
Adjusting the width of a column.
Figure 3-7
Adjusting the height of a row.
Figure 3-8
The Row Height dialog box.
Figure 3-9
The Column Width dialog box.
Column Header Shortcut menu
Click to select all the cells in a worksheet
Select All button
Figure 3-8 Figure 3-9
Figure 3-6 Click and drag the line that Figure 3-7 separates column headers to
change the width of a column
Click and drag the line that separates row headers to change the height of a row
Chapter Three: Formatting a Worksheet
105
Quick Reference
To Adjust the Width of a Column:
• Drag the column header’s right border to the left or right.
Or…
• Right-click the column header(s), select Column Width from the shortcut menu, and enter the column width. Or…
• Select the column header(s), select Format
→ Column → Width
from the menu, and enter the column width.
To Adjust the Height of a Row:
• Drag the row header’s bottom border up or down.
Or…
• Right-click the row header(s), select Row Height from the shortcut menu, and enter the row height.
Or…
• Select the row header(s), select Format → Row →
Height from the menu, and enter the row height.
To Automatically Adjust the Width of a Column or Row (AutoFit):
• Double-click the right border of the column or bottom border of a row. Or…
• Click the column heading to select the column and select Format → Row or
Column → AutoFit from the menu.
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Carefully position the pointer over the line between the 4 and 5 in the row header area, until it changes to a .Once the pointer is positioned over the column line and appears as a , you can adjust the row height to make it smaller or wider.
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Click and hold the mouse button and drag the line down until the height of Row 4 is doubled, as shown in Figure 3-7.Notice that while you are dragging the column, a tip box appears displaying the current height of the row.
In most instances, using the mouse is the fastest and easiest method to adjust the height of a row or the width of a column. There are times, however, when you may want to adjust the height of a row or the width of a column by using a dialog box. For example, you can select and adjust the width of several columns at the same time with a dialog box.
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Click the Select All button (the gray rectangle in the upper-left corner of the worksheet where the row and column headings meet) to select the entire worksheet.Excel selects all the cells in the worksheet.
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Select Format → Row → Height from the menu.The Row Height dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 3-8. Here you can enter an exact measurement to adjust the row height. The default row height is 12.75.
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Type 14 in the Row Height text box and click OK.The height of all the rows in the worksheet changes to 14. Notice, however that the new row height is not sufficient to accommodate the worksheet’s title, so you will need to adjust the height of row A. You can use the AutoFit feature to automatically adjust the height of row 1.
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Deselect the entire worksheet by clicking any cell in the worksheet.The entire worksheet is no longer selected.
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Double-click the line between the 1 and 2 in the row header area.Excel automatically adjusts the height of the first row so the title Expense Report fits in the row. A faster way to open either the Row Height or the Column Width dialog box is to use the right mouse button shortcut menu.
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Right-click the A column header.A shortcut menu containing the most commonly used commands used with columns appears. Had you right-clicked a row heading, a shortcut menu with the most commonly used Row commands would have appeared.
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Select Column Width from the shortcut menu.The Column Width dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 3-9. Here you can enter an exact measurement to adjust the column width. The default column width is 8.43.
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Type 10 in the Column Width box and click OK.The width of the selected column, column A, changes to 10.
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Save your work.Splendid! In just one lesson you’ve learned how to adjust the width of columns and height of rows using several different methods.