Excel.Tips.Net Welcome toExcel.Tips.Net

Helpful Links

Tips.Net Home
ExcelTips Home
Ask an Excel Question
Make a Comment

Tips.Net Store

ExcelTips FAQ
ExcelTips Premium

Learn Access Now

Beauty Tips
Car Tips
Cleaning Tips
College Tips
Cooking Tips
Excel2007 Tips
ExcelTips
Family Tips
Gardening Tips
Health Tips
Home Tips
Money Tips
Organizing Tips
Pest Tips
Pet Tips
Wedding Tips
Word2007 Tips
WordTips

Advertise on the
ExcelTips Site

Newest Tips

Assigning a Macro to a Keyboard Combination

Creating Scenarios

Using Message Boxes

Understanding Phantom Macros

Picking a Group of Cells

Running Out of Memory

Hiding Rows Based on a Cell Value

 

Displaying Row and Column Labels

Summary: If you add row and column labels to your worksheet data, you may want them to appear on-screen at all times so that you can better work with the data. This is easily done by freezing rows and columns, as described in this tip. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)

When you develop a worksheet you often add a row or two of labels at the top of each column, and perhaps a column of labels to the left of each row. If your worksheet becomes quite large, it is not unusual for the row and column labels to scroll off the screen so that you can no longer see them.

To keep row and column labels visible, consider "freezing" the rows and columns in which the labels are located. For instance, you could easily freeze the first four rows of a worksheet along with the first column. Then, when you scroll the worksheet the rows and columns will remain on the screen—only the unfrozen portion of the screen will scroll.

You specify what rows and columns you want to freeze by selecting the cell immediately below and to the right of the area to be frozen. For instance, if you want to freeze rows 1 through 4 and column A, you would select the cell at B5. Then, to freeze the rows and columns, you select Freeze Panes from the Window menu. (In Excel 2007 you display the View tab of the ribbon, click Freeze Panes in the Window group, and then click Freeze Panes again.) Excel places a thicker black line above and to the left of the current cell to indicate the rows and columns frozen.

If you no longer need to use the frozen panes, simply choose Unfreeze Panes from the Window menu. (In Excel 2007 you display the View tab of the ribbon, click Freeze Panes in the Window group, and then click Unfreeze Panes.)

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2591) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Tame Your Data! ExcelTips: Filters and Filtering provides all the details necessary to let you manage large sets of data with confidence and ease. Its information-packed pages demonstrate how to use the two types of filters provided by Excel: AutoFilters and advanced filters.
 
Check out ExcelTips: Filters and Filtering today!