While creating reports in Microsoft Excel, it is important to ensure that your data is formatted correctly.
One of the ways of properly formatting your spreadsheets is by altering the width of a column when necessary.
In this blog, we will show you the step-by-step process of changing the width of a column in Excel.
Method 1: Resize Column Width By Dragging Your Mouse Cursor
The easiest way to resize column width in Excel is to use your mouse to adjust it. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can do it.
In the dataset presented below, let’s adjust the width of Column A by broadening it.
Utilizing this method will promote a more organized appearance which can be applied across multiple columns if desired.
Below are the steps to do this:
Step 1: Click on the column for which you want to change the column width. In this case, we will be doing column ‘A’. Upon selecting the column A, the entire column will be highlighted as shown below:
Step 2: Place your mouse cursor over the line between two columns – Column A and Column B, which will bring up a double arrow pointer in the direction that you can drag it in.
Step 3: Click and hold down your mouse button while you drag the column border to the right to increase the width.
Step 4: Release your mouse button when you’ve reached the desired width, and the new size will be applied, as illustrated below.
Note: This method is great when you know the width
Method 2: Resize Column Width To A Specific Number
If you need to specify an exact width for a column in Excel, then you can do this by navigating the Excel menus.
Below is a dataset example where we want to change the width of Column A needs to be changed to a specific number
How can I do it using this method? Well, let’s have a look at the steps below:
Step 1: Select the column you want to resize from your worksheet. In this case, Column A
Step 2: Click on the “Home” tab.
Step 3: Go to the “Cells” group in the “Home” tab.
Step 4: Click on “Format” in the main ribbon menu and choose “Column Width.”
Step 5: A dialog box will appear, allowing you to enter a specific width for the column. Once you have entered your desired width, click “OK” and the column will be resized accordingly.
Things to remember when using this method:
- This method may not be suitable for datasets with a large number of columns, as selecting each column individually can be tedious.
- The “Column Width” dialog box can sometimes obscure the view of the spreadsheet, making it difficult to see the effect of the changes being made.
Method 3: Set Column Width by Right-Clicking on Your Mouse
You can also set a column width by using the right-click button on your mouse and opening up the pop-up menu.
We are taking the same dataset as presented above. The width of Column A needs to be changed
Let’s see how we can change the width of column A using this method:
Step 1: Select the column you want to change from your worksheet. In this case, it will be Column A.
Step 2: Right-click on it.
Step 3: Select “Column Width” from the menu. A dialog box will appear allowing you to enter a specific width for the column in characters.
Step 4: Once you have entered your desired width, click “OK” and the column will be resized accordingly.
Things to remember when using this method:
- This method can only be used to adjust the width of a single column at a time, which can be time-consuming for datasets with multiple columns.
- There is a possibility of inconsistent column widths throughout a dataset, which can be visually unappealing, especially when working with large datasets.
Method 4: AutoFit Column Width
If you need to adjust the width of multiple columns at once, then you can use the “AutoFit” feature. The steps are pretty straightforward.
Using the same dataset as used before, we are going to change the column ‘A’ width via Auto-fit.
Step 1: Select all the columns you want to resize by clicking on the column header ‘A’, this will highlight the rows in that column where we need to change the width.
Step 2: Go to the “Cells” group in the “Home” tab. Then click on “Format” in the main ribbon menu and choose ‘’Autofit Column Width.’
Step 3: The ”Autofit” feature will automatically adjust the widths of all your selected columns to make sure that you have an effortless view of every single data.
Things to remember when using this method:
- The AutoFit feature can sometimes result in columns that are too narrow or too wide for the data contained within them.
- The AutoFit feature can sometimes create inconsistent column widths throughout a dataset, which can be visually unappealing.
Method 5: Setting the Default Width of Columns
If you want to set a standard width for all columns in your worksheet, you can set the default width of each column as per your requirement. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can do it:
Step 1: Select any column from your worksheet.
Step 2: Go to the “Cells” group in the “Home” tab.
Step 3: Then click on the “Format” option in the group and select “Default Width” from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Enter a number in the dialog box that appears. This will set the default column width for all columns on the worksheet. Any new columns you add to your worksheet will use this default width.
Things to remember when using this method:
- Setting a default column width that is too narrow can result in data being truncated or hidden from view.
- Setting a default column width that is too wide can waste space and make the spreadsheet harder to read.
If you need to make specific adjustments for individual columns, then you can do so by following the steps outlined in previous sections of this blog post.
Method 6: Setting same column width for the entire spreadsheet
If you want to set a standard width for all columns in your worksheet, you can set the standard width of all the column as per your requirement in one single go. And it is very easy to do. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can do it:
Taking the same dataset as presented above. In this case, we are changing the column width of all the columns. In this example, few more columns are added for reference purpose. As you can see, they are of different widths. We will now change them into one standard width.
Step 1: Click on the triangle highlighted between Row 1 and Column ‘A’
The moment you click on the triangle, the entire spreadsheet will be highlighted, as shown below in the screenshot:
Step 2: Take the mouse between two columns eg: Column ‘A’ and Column ‘B’ which will bring up a double arrow pointer in the direction that you can drag it in.
Step 3: Release your mouse button when you’ve reached the desired width, and the new size will be applied to all column of the entire spreadsheet- in one go! (including the blank column ‘D’, column E and all other columns)
Things to remember when using this method:
- Columns with sparse data or short content may end up with unnecessary empty space, reducing the efficiency of data presentation
- Standardizing column width without considering the content might lead to data truncation in certain columns, hiding valuable information.
Tip: While setting the same column width for the entire spreadsheet offers consistency and saves time, it may not be suitable for all datasets. Consider the nature of your data and how it will be presented to make an informed decision
With these flexible methods at your disposal, adjusting column width in Microsoft Excel becomes a breeze. Whether you prefer the simplicity of dragging and dropping with your mouse or the precision of setting specific widths, Excel empowers you to effortlessly organize your spreadsheets and reclaim valuable time in the process. So go ahead and tailor your columns to perfection, making your data presentation clearer and more professional than ever before.