Q. Is there a quick way to format tables in Excel?
A. An AutoFormat option in Excel will format your table and allow you to choose from several options. Let’s use the completely unformatted table in the screenshot below as an example of how to use AutoFormat. You can access a copy of this workbook here.
Click anywhere within the dataset and click Alt+O+A. The AutoFormat window will open with formatting options that work well with your table. See the screenshot below for the options provided for the example in this column.
You will notice that you can scroll down for more options. Choose the option you like and click OK.
Note that these instructions are based on Microsoft Excel 365 for PCs. Other versions of Excel may work differently.
A video demonstration of this process is available at the bottom of this article.
About the authors
Kelly L. Williams, CPA, Ph.D., MBA, is an associate professor of accounting at the Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.
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