Formatting lets you change the appearance of data to control exactly how Excel will display the data on a worksheet.
An example of formatting is to add dollar signs, percentage signs and decimal places to Excel data.
Understanding number formats
When we apply formatting to a cell we overlay the actual number with a specific look.
Every cell within a workbook has a predefined number format of ‘General’. This means when you type data into the cell (in most instances) it will remain without any specific formatting.
However if you would like the data in a cell to display decimal places, a dollar or percentage sign or, in the case of dates, a particular style of date you will need to apply a number format.
Applying a number format
To apply a format to a cell or range of cells first select the cell(s) and then from the Home tab do one of the following.
- Use the Accounting, Percentage, Comma, Increase and Decrease Decimal places buttons to quickly apply formatting to the data. Click the Accounting drop-down to apply different currency symbols. Use Comma to apply the Accounting format without the currency symbol. Percentage will format as a percentage with no decimal places.
- Click the drop-down arrow on the Number Format option box. Select the option that best fits your requirements.
Option | Description |
General | No specific format. Leading 0 (zero) and zeros after a decimal will not be displayed. |
Number | Displays leading zeros and applies 2 decimal places. |
Currency | Displays a dollar sign in front of the number. Applies 2 decimal places. |
Accounting | Displays a dollar sign on the very left of the cell. Applies 2 decimal places. |
Short/Long Date | Formats a number as a date. |
Text | Allows you to enter numbers with leading zeros, e.g. 0842. Great for mobile numbers and post codes. |
Note: the Percentage option on the Number Format list formats numbers as a percentage with two decimal places. If you would prefer to format as a percentage without decimal places click the Percent Style button in the Number group.
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