Conditional formatting is a feature in spreadsheet software that allows you to automatically format cells based on their values or the values of other cells. In this tutorial, we'll cover the basics of using conditional formatting in spreadsheet templates.
Step 1: Select the cells To use conditional formatting, you'll first need to select the cells that you want to format. In Excel, you can select cells by clicking and dragging your mouse over the cells, or by using the "CTRL" key to select multiple ranges of cells.
Step 2: Choose a rule Once you've selected the cells, go to the "Home" tab and select "Conditional Formatting". From the drop-down menu, choose the rule that you want to apply to the selected cells. Some of the most commonly used rules include "Highlight Cells Rules", "Top/Bottom Rules", "Data Bars", "Color Scales" and "Icon Sets".
Step 3: Set the criteria Once you've chosen a rule, you'll need to set the criteria for the formatting. For example, if you've chosen the "Highlight Cells Rules" rule, you can set the criteria to "Greater Than" or "Less Than" a certain value, and then enter the value.
Step 4: Select a format After you've set the criteria, you'll need to select a format for the cells that meet the criteria. For example, you can select a color or a pattern for the cells, or you can choose to add an icon.
Step 5: Preview and Apply Excel will show a preview of the formatting on the selected cells, so you can check if that is what you need. Once you are satisfied with the formatting, click on "OK" to apply it to the selected cells.
Step 6: Use it in your spreadsheet templates Once you've created your conditional formatting, you can use it in your spreadsheet templates to highlight important data. To use the conditional formatting in your template, simply open the template and the formatting will already be applied to the appropriate cells.
In conclusion, Conditional formatting is a useful feature that can help you to quickly identify important information in your spreadsheet templates. By following these steps, you can create conditional formatting rules that allow you to format cells based on their values or the values of other cells. Additionally, you can use a combination of rules and criteria to format cells in different ways and making your spreadsheet templates more informative.
QuickRef: Conditional Formatting in Spreadsheet Templates
Step 1: Open your spreadsheet template in a program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Step 2: Select the cells you want to apply the conditional formatting to.
Step 3: On the Home tab, click on the Format drop-down menu and then select Conditional Formatting.
Step 4: A new window will open with a list of formatting options, including single color and color scale.
Step 5: Select the type of formatting you want to apply, such as single color or color scale.
Step 6: For single color, you can choose the condition that will trigger the rule and the formatting style. For color scale, you can choose the color scale, the minimum and maximum values, and the optional midpoint value.
Step 7: Once you’ve chosen the formatting options, click “Done” to apply the conditional formatting.
Step 8: To use a custom formula, click on the “Custom formula is” option under the “Format cells if” drop-down menu. Then, enter the formula and rules.
Step 9: To use wildcard characters, select the “Text contains” or “Text does not contain” options and then enter the wildcard characters.
Step 10: To remove a rule, simply point to the rule and click “Remove”.