What, You Still Don’t Know How to Transpose an Excel Table?

Q: To make an Excel table fit better on a page when I print it, I frequently have to transpose it—that is, move all the data from, say, rows 1, 2 and 3 and put them into columns A, B and C. To do that I have to move each segment—one at a time. Is there a better way?

A: I’m surprised, and troubled, by how often I get this very basic question from readers. It would suggest that a portion of CPAs are handicapped by insufficient knowledge about one of their basic tools—Excel. I would urge those accountants to consider either turning to a basic how-to Excel book or taking a class—either at a local community college or any of the many professional skill-honing services in their area.

Now the solution to the transposing query: Highlight the ranges you want to transpose and copy (Ctrl+C) them. Then place your cursor in a clear area in your spreadsheet and rightclick and select Paste Special, which brings up this screen:

Then place a check in the box next to Transpose, click on OK, and the switch occurs (see screenshot below).