Row Heights and Column Widths

Instructions: You will use the Row Height and Column Width commands from the Format menu, and also some shortcut mouse operations.

Comments: Excel always creates new spreadsheets with a default column width and row height. It is often better for presentation if these are altered to suit the contents of the rows and columns.

Activity 4.2 From the Format menu select the command Column Width. The Column Width dialogue box shown will appear.

From this dialogue box you can specify the exact width you want your columns to be. It is, however, much easier to get Excel to calculate the best width for the column for you. Click on the <Cancel> button to close the box down.



Activity 4.3 Now go back to the Format menu and click on the Column AutoFit Selection option. Column F will be widened so that the text Actual Sales fits perfectly.

Activity 4.4 Row width can be altered in much the same way. A row will deepen automatically if you increase the font size in one of the cells in the row (you should be able to see this by looking at Row 1).

There is a shortcut to deepen row heights in using the mouse. Move the mouse to the row labels on the left hand side of the worksheet. As you move the mouse slowly up and down the labels you will notice that the cursor changes shape from a thick white crosshair to a thick black line with arrows pointing up and down.

Move the cursor so that the black line with arrows cursor is between rows 6 and 7. Click and hold the mouse button. Drag the mouse button down until it is halfway down row 7. A dotted line should appear horizontally across the screen when you move the mouse showing where the new base to row 6 will be. Release the button and row 6 resizes to be 50% deeper.

Note If you move the mouse across the column labels you will note you get a vertical line with arrow pointing outwards . This does the same shortcut for columns. In fact, if you double click the mouse button whilst the cursor is in this shape it will automatically resize the column to the left or row directly above to be the best fit for the contents.

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