How to make a table look good in Excel

Wondering how to make a table look good in MS Excel 2013 ? Here are a few steps to help you, with a full example below :


How to make Excel look good

Wondering how to make a table look good in MS Excel 2013 ?

Here are a few steps to help you, with a full example below :

Format as table, using Excel predefined styles,

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Copy formatting, from one cell to another,

Merge and center, when cell descriptions applies to several columns / lines,

Add borders, to visually distinguish easily important blocks,

Set text to bold, to visually notify important cells,

Format cells values, to properly display numbers, percentages, …

Resize columns to fit content.

You can always go further, but these easy and fast steps will quickly make your Excel table look better.

How to make Excel look nice

Starting from a non formatted table, as seen below, you can see there’s a lot to improve.

First step, apply some Excel table to distinct subtables. Select them, and use the Format as Tableoption from Styles box in the HOME menu.

You might use Medium formats for content, and Dark format for a heading subtable, as shown in example.

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If you have extra cells, and want to apply the same style, select the cell from which the style should be copied, click on Format Painter from Clipboard box in the HOME menu, and then click on the cells on which you want to copy the format.

If several cells represent the same information, instead of copy pasting them, make sure the first cell of the selection (from the left for horizontal selection, or the top for vertical selection), select the contingent cells that should contain the same information, and apply the Merge & Center option from the Alignment box in the HOME menu.

To make some blocks of information more obvious, for example subtotals and totals, select the corresponding line or column, and apply a Border from the Font box in the HOME menu.

It might also be useful to format then in Bold from the same Font box in the HOME menu.

Some text might need to be reformatted, for example numbers only showing 2 decimals, or some numbers formatted as Percentage. Select the data you want to format, right click on the selection, and select the Format Cells… option.

In that option, select the category you want to apply, and change the options to fit your needs, in our case Percentage with 2 decimals.

Then, select the columns, and when having the icon as shown on picture by pointing at the intersection of two columns identifier, double click to resize them all automatically.

And voilà ! Your table should now look much better and you can now share it.

How to make nice looking table in Excel

To make a nice looking table in Excel, select the table, and go to menu Home > Format as Table > select the table formatting.

It is possible to move the mouse over the different styles, and see the change in real time on the table. Once the perfect style has been found for the table, simply click on it in the format as table menu to have it applied, and make a nice looking table in Excel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to make a Excel table look good?
To make an Excel table look good, you can select the table and apply a style from the 'Format as Table' options in the Home tab. Adjust column widths, merge and center cells with common information, and apply borders and bold formatting to highlight key areas. For numerical data, format cells to display numbers, percentages, etc., appropriately.
What are some effective techniques for enhancing the visual appeal of a table in Excel?
Enhancing a table's visual appeal can be achieved by applying conditional formatting for data insights, utilizing table styles for consistent formatting, adjusting column widths and row heights for readability, and incorporating charts or graphs for data visualization.

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Yoann Bierling
About the author - Yoann Bierling
Yoann Bierling is a Web Publishing & Digital Consulting professional, making a global impact through expertise and innovation in technologies. Passionate about empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in the digital age, he is driven to deliver exceptional results and drive growth through educational content creation.

Become an Excel Pro: Join Our Course!

Elevate your skills from novice to hero with our Excel 365 Basics course, designed to make you proficient in just a few sessions.

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Comments (16)

 2018-08-19 -  Wilbert Riley
Отличная история, спасибо за обмен
 2018-08-19 -  Rebecca Hardy
Удивительно, теперь моя очередь попробовать!
 2018-08-19 -  Fannie Thomas
Dziękuję, bardzo pouczające
 2018-08-19 -  Alan Foster
Więc tak to robimy, świetnie wiedzieć
 2018-08-19 -  Kathleen Thompson
Liebe deinen Inhalt zu lesen, schreibe weiter
 2018-08-19 -  Dawn Hampton
나는이 세부 사항에 대해 몰랐다.
 2018-08-19 -  Candace Woods
มีช่วงเวลาที่ดีในการอ่านข้อมูลนี้ติดตามผลงานที่ดี
 2018-08-19 -  Salvatore Perkins
Simplu, clar și bine explicat, multe mulțumiri
 2018-08-19 -  Angela James
Bu benim için iyi çalıştı, daha fazla bakmaya gerek yok
 2018-08-19 -  Robert Bell
Size nasıl teşekkür edeceğimi bilmiyorum, ama bu saf dahi, teşekkürler
 2018-08-19 -  Emily Collins
Отличный сайт, пожалуйста, продолжайте
 2018-08-19 -  Lillian Rivera
Isso funcionou bem para mim, não há necessidade de procurar mais
 2018-08-19 -  RoachWord
Super site, continuez
 2018-08-19 -  Deskintric
您好,我看到了您的文章,它帮助我解决了我的问题,非常感谢
 2018-08-19 -  WeaveamsObsexS
Ik weet niet hoe ik je moet bedanken, maar dat is puur geniaal, bedankt
 2018-08-19 -  masaleenJ
Ik zal het nu proberen, bedankt voor het delen

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