Page 154 - Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies

136 Adjusting Columns and Rows
For those situations, use the AutoFit Selection command, which adjusts the column width to suit only the entries in the cells of the column that you have selected. This way, you can select all the cells except for any really long ones in the column that purposely spill over to empty cells on the right, and then have Excel adjust the width to suit. After you’ve selected the cells in the column that you want the new width to fit, click the Format button in the Cells group on the Home tab and then choose AutoFit Selection from the drop-down menu.
Adjusting columns the old fashioned way
AutoFit is nothing if not quick and easy. If you need more precision in adjust- ing your column widths, you have to do this manually either by dragging
its border with the mouse or by entering new values in the Column Width dialog box.
✦ To manually adjust a column width with the mouse: Drag the right edge of that column onto the Column header to the left (to narrow) or
to the right (to widen) as required. As you drag the column border, a ScreenTip appears above the mouse pointer indicating the current width in both characters and pixels. When you have the column adjusted to the desired width, release the mouse button to set it.
✦ To manually adjust a column width by touch: Tap the right edge of
the column header with your finger or stylus to select the column and make the black, double-header pointer appear. Then swipe the pointer left or right as needed. As you swipe, the Name box on the Formula bar indicates the current width in characters and pixels. When you have the column adjusted to the desired width, remove your finger or stylus from the touchscreen.
To make this operation easier, remember that you can instantly zoom
in on the column border by stretching your forefinger and thumb on the touchscreen — doing this makes the column letter area larger, making it a lot easier to tap and swipe the border left and right with your finger or stylus.
✦ To adjust a column width in the Column Width dialog box: Position the cell pointer in any one of the cells in the column that you want to adjust, click the Format button in the Cells group on the Home tab of the Ribbon, and then choose Column Width on the drop-down menu to open the Column Width dialog box. Here, you enter the new width (in the number of characters between 0 and 255) in the Column Width text box before clicking OK.
You can apply a new column width that you set in the Column Width dialog box to more than a single column by selecting the columns (either by drag- ging through their letters on the Column header or holding down Ctrl as you click them) before you open the Column Width dialog box.