Formatting cells in Grid: fonts, borders, fills and styles
How to format cells in Grid by Zaweba with the Format Cells tabs, 13 border styles, wrapping, rotation, indents, fills, cell styles and the format painter.
Formatting is what turns a block of figures into something people can read. Headings that stand out, totals with a line above them, inputs in a soft colour so everyone knows where to type. Grid by Zaweba keeps all of it in one place, Format Cells, with quick versions on the Home tab of the ribbon.
The Format Cells tabs
Press Ctrl+1 to open Format Cells. It has six tabs. Number controls how values are shown, from currency and percentages to custom codes. Alignment controls where content sits in the cell. Font sets typeface, size, style and colour. Border draws lines around and between cells. Fill sets the background. Protection holds the locked setting used when a sheet is protected.
Alignment, wrapping and rotation
Alignment does more than left, centre and right. Wrap lets long text flow onto several lines within the cell, which keeps a column of descriptions narrow enough to print. Rotation turns text at an angle, which is handy for narrow column headings over a grid of figures, such as dates across the top of a rota. Indent pushes content in from the edge, a neat way to show sub-items under a heading in a budget.
Borders and fills
Borders come in 13 styles, so you can choose anything from a light rule to a heavy outline. A common, clean convention is a single line above a subtotal and a heavier line under a grand total. Light horizontal lines between rows help the eye follow a wide table; a thicker outline sets off an input area or a summary block.
Fills colour the background of a cell. Use them with a purpose: a light tint for input cells, a stronger one for headings, nothing at all for most data. Too many colours make a sheet harder to read rather than easier.
Cell styles and the format painter
Cell styles on the Home tab apply a set of formatting in one click, so headings, totals and inputs can each have their own consistent look. Using styles rather than formatting each cell by hand keeps a workbook consistent and makes it quicker to build. A sheet where every heading uses the same style looks finished.
The format painter copies the formatting from one cell to others. Click a cell that looks right, click the format painter, then click or drag over the cells you want to match. It carries fonts, fills, borders, alignment and number formats together.
Formatting that helps, not hinders
Format whole columns or ranges rather than individual cells, so new entries pick up the right look. Prefer wrap and sensible widths to merged cells in the body of a table, because merged cells get in the way of sorting and selecting. For colour that should change with the data, such as overdue dates turning red, use conditional formatting rather than fixed fills, so it stays right as the figures move.
Remember that formatting changes appearance, not values. A number format showing two decimals doesn't round the number; use ROUND for that. And when a number shows as ####, the column just needs to be wider.
Keeping it when you share
Formatting is saved in .zagr and .xlsx files, so a workbook keeps its look when you send it on. If you print or export to PDF, Print Preview shows how borders and fills will come out on paper. Good formatting in Grid by Zaweba is mostly about restraint: a few consistent styles, clear lines where they help, and colour only where it means something.
