Excel 2010 Just the Steps For Dummies
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In Excel 2010, you can change the horizontal and vertical alignment of cell data. By default, text is left-aligned, and values and dates are right-aligned. Use the buttons in the Alignment group of the Home tab to alter the alignment.

Values formatted as Accounting can only display as right-aligned. You can change alignment on all other formatting styles.

Follow these steps to change the horizontal or vertical alignment of cell data:

  1. Select the cells you want to align.

  2. On the Home tab, select a horizontal alignment:

    • Align Text Left: Horizontally aligns the data along the left edge of the cell.

    • Center: Centers the data horizontally in the middle of the cell. If you modify the column width, the data remains centered to the new column width.

    • Align Text Right: Horizontally aligns the data along the right edge of the cell.

      Excel's horizontal alignment options. The data in cells B4 through F4 are centered horizontally.
      Excel's horizontal alignment options. The data in cells B4 through F4 are centered horizontally.
  3. On the Home tab, select a vertical alignment:

    • Top Align: Aligns the data vertically along the top edge of the cell.

    • Middle Align: Centers the data vertically in the cell.

    • Bottom Align: This is the default option; it aligns the data along the bottom edge of the cell.

      Excel's vertical alignment options. The title in row 1 shows the default bottom alignment; the subt
      Excel's vertical alignment options. The title in row 1 shows the default bottom alignment; the subtitle in row 2 shows top alignment.

You can view additional alignment options and align both the horizontal and vertical alignment at the same time by using the Format Cells dialog box. From the Home tab, click the Alignment dialog box launcher in the lower-right corner of the Alignment group. In the Format Cells dialog box that appears, set any desired alignment options on the Alignment tab and then click OK.

About This Article

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About the book author:

Diane Koers owns and operates All Business Service, a software training and consulting business formed in 1988, that services the central Indiana area. Her area of expertise has long been in the word-processing, spreadsheet, and graphics areas of computing. She also provides training and support for Peachtree Accounting Software. Diane's authoring experience includes over 40 books on topics, such as PC security, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect, Paint Shop Pro, Lotus SmartSuite, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and Peachtree Accounting. Many of these titles have been translated into other languages, such as French, Dutch, Bulgarian, Spanish, and Greek. She has also developed and written numerous training manuals for her clients.
Diane and her husband enjoy spending their free time fishing, traveling, and playing with their four grandsons and their Yorkshire Terrier.

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