6 Tips for Working With Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets have been an invaluable tool for computer users since the '80s; however, few people have completely mastered them. Whether you are brand new to spreadsheets or an old hand, these six tips can help you boost your spreadsheet skills.

1. Use Templates To Accomplish Common Tasks

While it can be useful to dig into the nitty-gritty details of how to do things in your favorite spreadsheet program, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Templates allow you to remove duplicate rows and accomplish other common tasks, without having to figure out the technical details yourself. You can also save charts as templates so that once you have created a chart that you want to use again, you can save it as a template and reuse it without having to recreate it from scratch. Right-click on your completed chart and select Save as Template. To use the template, select the data you want to use in your chart, select Recommended Charts from the Insert Tab, navigate to the All Charts tab and then the Templates folder. Pick the template you want to use from the My Templates box and then click OK. 

2. Try Format Painter To Make Formatting Cells Easier

There are lots of different ways you can change the look of a cell; however, making the same changes in many different cells can be tedious. The Format Painter tool, which is located on the Home tab and looks like a paintbrush, lets you change the format of multiple cells at the same time. Select the cell you want to replicate the format of, click the paintbrush icon and then click on the cell or cells you want to copy the format to. 

3. Use AutoFill To Complete Series of Data

Typing in a long list of sequential data, such as numbers or dates, can take a long time. Fortunately, you don't need to type everything out by hand. Instead, you can start the series and then move your mouse cursor over the lower-right corner of the last cell in the series you typed. When you see a plus sign, click it and then drag down, up or across to fill the adjacent cells with the pattern you established. If you want to save even more typing, you can allow AutoFill to suggest patterns; however, the options will be better the more data you input to establish the pattern.

4. Use Shortcuts To Select Multiple Cells

You can select multiple cells by dragging the cursor with your mouse, but if you are working with a large spreadsheet, this can take a long time. Instead, click the first cell and then press and hold CTRL+Shift and the up, down, left or right arrow to select the cells above, below, left or right of that cell. Only cells that contain data will be selected. You can also push CTRL+Shift+End to move the cursor to the lowest right-hand cell that contains data. 

5. Use the Series Options Menu To Add Graphics to Charts

You can add graphics to any element of a chart by using the Series Options menu and choosing Picture or texture fill. Don't get carried away adding too many graphical elements, because this can make your charts difficult to read, but if you want to do something like adding dollar bills to represent money spent, you can easily add clip art or other graphics. 

6. Insert a Screenshot

You can easily insert a screenshot from any open program on your desktop by navigating to the Insert tab and choosing the Screenshot option. You will see a drop-down menu that displays thumbnails of all your open programs. Choose the one you want to use to insert the full-sized image.

Modern spreadsheets have many functions that make these programs more useful and powerful than ever. However, with so many options it can be difficult to remember how to do everything. The tips and tricks you use often, you will tend to remember, while you may need to save the others somewhere you can reference as needed.