A perfect spreadsheet should not only be accurate in calculations but also easy to read. In this collection, we break down Excel's technical tricks that make tables visually clear and professional.

1. Working with Text and Symbols

❓ How to make strikethrough text (font) in Excel?

The fastest way is to select the desired cell and press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + 5. Alternatively, you can right-click → Format Cells → Font tab → check the Strikethrough box.

❓ How to insert a checkmark in a cell?

There are two ways. Simple: Select the cell, change the font to Webdings, and type a lowercase a (a checkmark will appear). Interactive: Enable the Developer tab (via Ribbon options), go to Insert → Check Box (Form Control).

❓ What does the green triangle in a cell mean, and how to remove it?

A green triangle in the top-left corner means Excel suspects an error (most commonly, a number formatted as text). Select the cell, click the yellow diamond icon with an exclamation mark that appears next to it, and choose Convert to Number or Ignore Error.

2. Borders, Fills, and Sizing

❓ How to create alternating row colors (striped table)?

The best method is to use a Smart Table. Select your data and go to Home → Format as Table, picking any striped style. If you want to do it via Conditional Formatting, use the formula: =MOD(ROW(),2)=0.

❓ How to make a blue border or a thick border?

Select the cells, go to the Home tab → Borders button (window icon). At the very bottom, choose Line Color (pick blue), and then from the same menu, select Thick Outside Borders.

❓ How to make a row wider or auto-fit cells?

To make text fit the cell, double-click the boundary between the column headers (e.g., between A and B). Excel will automatically adjust the width. Alternatively, select the whole table, go to: Home → Format → AutoFit Column Width / Row Height.

3. Navigation and Sheet Views

❓ How to freeze a header or multiple panes?

To keep your table header from scrolling out of view, go to the View tab → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row. If you need to freeze both a row and a column simultaneously: select the cell directly below the row and to the right of the column you want to freeze, and select simply Freeze Panes.

❓ How to view two tables side-by-side on one screen?

Go to the View tab and click New Window (Excel will open a copy of the current file). Then go back to View and click Arrange All → select Vertical (or Side-by-Side). Now you can view different sheets of the same file simultaneously.

❓ How to duplicate a sheet?

Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard, left-click the sheet tab at the bottom, and drag it to the side. An exact copy of the sheet will be created instantly.

ℹ️ Teamwork

Looking for how to enable multi-user mode? If your file is saved in OneDrive or SharePoint, just click the Share button in the top right corner. You and your colleagues will be able to edit the spreadsheet simultaneously, seeing each other's cursors (Co-authoring).