Beginning Excel Page 2 - Typing in Cells

If you open a worksheet and click on a cell, you’ll notice a thick black border around it. This border, the cell pointer, signifies the active cell, the one you plan to work with.

You can type text, numbers, dates, or formulas in each cell. You can also format them just like you would in the Microsoft Word® word processing software. For instance, you can make the text bold, italicized, or underlined. You can also change the text font type or font size, or even center your entry within the cell. You can also change both the text and cell color.

Note for 2008: You might not be able to see your Formatting Toolbar, which contains the icons allowing you to do many of these things. To show it click on View at the top of your screen, bring your mouse arrow down to Toolbars, and click on Formatting. You’ll also probably see a Formatting Palette on the right. Ignore it for now.