Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 10, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Excel includes a powerful feature that allows you to dynamically change the formatting of individual cells based on the results being displayed in that cell. For instance, you could make the text in the cell larger and red if a result is less than a certain threshold. Likewise, you could color the background of a cell based on the result of a formula.
To take advantage of conditional formatting, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Conditional Formatting dialog box.
Figure 2. The Format Cells dialog box.
It is possible to get very creative with conditional formatting. However, it is not the answer to every formatting need. If you want to be even more creative (you know—bordering on outlandish), you can always develop a macro that will examine all the cells in your sheet or a specific range of cells you select and then change formatting in any way you wish.
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