Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Making a Cell's Contents Italics within a Macro.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 22, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
If you are writing macros using VBA, it is not uncommon to process data and place the results of your processing into cells in a worksheet. If desired, you can also make the results in an italics typeface so that they stand out. You do this by setting the Italic property of the Font object for a selection.
For instance, if you wanted to make the contents of cell A1 italics, you could use the following in your macro:
Cells(1, 1).Font.Italic = True
Likewise, if you wanted to make the currently selected cell italics, you could use the following code:
Selection.Font.Italic = True
If you wanted to explicitly turn off the italics attribute of a particular cell, all you need to do is change True to False in the foregoing examples.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2560) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Making a Cell's Contents Italics within a Macro.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
Need to know the address of the cell that is currently selected? There is no worksheet function to return this ...
Discover MoreNeed to know how many characters there are in a workbook? You can find out easily with the handy macro introduced in this ...
Discover MoreWhen you use a macro to process data you always run the risk of making that data unusable by Excel. This is especially ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Comments