Placing Limits on AutoFormat

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 27, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

As mentioned in an earlier tip, AutoFormat affects every aspect of formatting a table. This includes all the number, font, border, position, and row and column settings necessary to change the entire look of your table. You might not, however, want AutoFormat to change every aspect of the formatting.

In these situations, you should click on the Options button when the AutoFormat dialog box is displayed. You will then see an enlarged version of the AutoFormat dialog box. If you click your mouse on the Options button again, the original (smaller) AutoFormat dialog box will reappear. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The expanded version of the AutoFormat dialog box.

When the expanded dialog box is visible, Excel includes formatting options at the bottom of the dialog box. Every option that has its check box selected will be modified by AutoFormat. If you do not want AutoFormat to change a particular formatting attribute, clear the check box beside that attribute. When you later click your mouse on OK, only those attributes you have specified will be modified.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2137) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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