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: Adding Ampersands in Headers and Footers.

Adding Ampersands in Headers and Footers

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 20, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


2

The ampersand character (&) is commonly used in company names (such as Burns & Foster, Inc.) or in standard business phrases (such as Mergers & Acquisitions). If you are creating a report in Excel, you may notice that the ampersand characters don't show up properly if you add them to headers or footers for your worksheet.

The reason ampersands don't show up is because the character is used as a "marker" that indicates a special formatting code is to follow. If you want to actually use an ampersand, then you need to double it—use two ampersands, such as "Burns && Foster, Inc." Even though you enter two ampersands in the header or footer, Excel only displays one ampersand in the resulting header or footer.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2988) 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: Adding Ampersands in Headers and Footers.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Too-Big Toolbars

Work around Words inability to have a multi-row toolbar.

Discover More

Tracing Precedent Cells

Cells that affect another cell are called precedent cells. If you need to know which cells affect a particular cell, ...

Discover More

Missing Top and Bottom Margins

You get your document set up just the way you want it, and then notice that all of a sudden Word doesn't show any top or ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Header and Footer Background Color

Want to add some color to the printing of your page headers and footers? Your options are limited, as disclosed in this tip.

Discover More

Date Last Edited

When adding headers or footers to your worksheets, you may want to include the date that the workbook was last edited. ...

Discover More

Inserting the Saved Date In a Header or Footer

When preparing a worksheet for printing, you may want to include in the header or footer the last date the workbook was ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven more than 1?

2022-01-30 21:18:29

Satheesh

Thanks.


2017-06-16 08:50:53

Dennis

How very strange however thank you


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.