Chapter 2
Section 2.4 – Preparing to Print
Learning Objectives
- Review and learn new cell formatting techniques.
- Understand how to modify page scaling and margins.
- Create custom headers and footers to automatically update information.
Download and open File: CH 2.3
In this section, we will review some of the formatting techniques covered in Chapter 1, as well as learn some new techniques. We will also preview a two-page worksheet and set page setup options to present the data in a professional manner. A new data file will be used in this section.
Formatting Worksheet Data
You have been given sales data that needs to be formatted in a professional manner. This worksheet will be printed and presented to investors, so it needs to be prepared for printing as well. Figure 2.23 shows how the finished worksheet will appear in Print Preview.
- Open the Data file named CH2.3 and use the File/Save As command to save it with the new name CH2 Sales Data.
- To change the font of the entire worksheet, click the Select All button in the top left corner of the worksheet grid (see Figure 2.24).
- Change the font to Calibri, Size 12.
- Using the skills learned in Chapter 1, make the following formatting changes:
- A1:H1 – Merge and Center; format text as bold and apply a font color and size of your choice, and change the Row height to 50
- A2:H2 – Merge and Center; format text as bold and italic, apply a font color of your choice
- A5:H5 – Apply a dark fill color; format text as white and bold
- C5:H5 – Center align (see Figure 2.25)
- A15:H15 – Apply Top Border to the cells; format text as bold
- C6:H6 and C15:H15 – Apply Accounting Number format with 0 decimal places
- C7:H14 – Apply Comma style with 0 decimal places
- Highlight A6:A14 (salespeople’s names) and click the Increase Indent button in the Alignment group on the Home ribbon (see Figure 2.26). This will indent the text from the cell border.
Fine-tuning Formatting
Now that you have fixed the inconsistencies in the formatting, you decide to apply some formatting techniques to make the worksheet look even better. You are going to start by vertically aligning the names of the states within the cells.
- Select cell A1
- Click the Home tab on the ribbon.
- In the Alignment group, click the Middle Align button (see Figure 2.27). Notice that Juliet’s Bakery Supply is now centered between the top and bottom borders of the cell.
Using Page Setup Options
Once the worksheet is professionally formatted, you need to look in Print Preview to see how the pages will print.
- With the CH2 Sales Data file still open, go to Backstage View by clicking the File tab on the ribbon. Select Print from the menu. Notice that the worksheet is currently printing on two pages, with the page breaking between the April and May columns. To fix this problem, you will first change the left and right margins while still in Print Preview
- Click the Margins drop-down arrow in the Settings section (see Figure 2.28)
- Select Custom Marg