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Drop-Down List Font Sizes

Summary: Apply an AutoFilter, and drop-down lists appear next to the top of each filtered column. Choose a drop-down list, and you see different filters you can apply to the column. If you want to increase the font size used in the drop-down lists, you're out of luck—Excel doesn't allow any changes. You can, however, get around the problem by adjusting the zoom factor used to display your information. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.)

James asked if there was a way to increase the font size used in the column drop-down lists that appear when you enable the AutoFilter in Excel. He normally sets the zoom on his worksheet to 60% so that he can see more of the worksheet at once, and the drop-down list font is smaller still.

Unfortunately, there is no way to change the size of the font. The font size used for some Excel controls is modified whenever you change the display properties in Windows, but none of those affect the drop-down font, either.

Because the font size increases in proportion to the zoom factor used for a worksheet, there is one potential workaround. You could increase the zoom factor a significant amount, say to 100% or even 125%. Then, select the data in the worksheet and decrease the font size and adjust column widths so you can see as much of the worksheet as you could at the 60% zoom factor. The change in worksheet font size should not affect the drop-down font size. That should still be tied to the zoom factor, and now be large enough to easily read.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2086) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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