Excel 2007 For Dummies
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You can merge and center data horizontally or vertically across multiple cells in Excel 2007. You also can unmerge or split a merged cell into its original, individual cells. A common use of merge and center in Excel 2007 is to horizontally center a worksheet title over a table.

You can only split a cell that has previously been merged.

Merging and centering cells

Follow these steps to merge and center a range of cells:

  1. Select the range of cells you want to merge and center.

    You can use Merge & Center only on a contiguous, rectangle-shaped range of cells.

    A worksheet title before merging and centering.
    A worksheet title before merging and centering.
  2. Click the Merge & Center button in the Alignment group on the Home tab.

    The cells are merged into a single cell, and the text (if any) is centered within the merged cell.

    A worksheet title after centering it across columns A through E.
    A worksheet title after centering it across columns A through E.
  3. (Optional) Change the alignment in the merged cell, if desired.

    For example, click the Align Text Right button in the Alignment group if you want the text in the merged cell to be right-aligned instead of centered.

If you want to merge cells without centering the text contained in the cell, click the drop-down arrow beside the Merge & Center button in the Alignment group and choose either Merge Across or Merge Cells.

Splitting a merged cell

If you need to split a cell that you’ve merged with the Merge & Center button, follow these steps:

  1. Select the merged cell.

    The Merge & Center button appears selected in the Alignment group.

  2. Click the Merge & Center button in the Alignment group.

    The merged cell reverts to a cell range again, and any text contained in the merged cell displays in the upper-left cell of the range.

About This Article

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About the book author:

Greg Harvey has authored tons of computer books, the most recent being Excel Workbook For Dummies and Roxio Easy Media Creator 8 For Dummies, and the most popular being Excel 2003 For Dummies and Excel 2003 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies. He started out training business users on how to use IBM personal computers and their attendant computer software in the rough and tumble days of DOS, WordStar, and Lotus 1-2-3 in the mid-80s of the last century. After working for a number of independent training firms, Greg went on to teach semester-long courses in spreadsheet and database management software at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
His love of teaching has translated into an equal love of writing. For Dummies books are, of course, his all-time favorites to write because they enable him to write to his favorite audience: the beginner. They also enable him to use humor (a key element to success in the training room) and, most delightful of all, to express an opinion or two about the subject matter at hand.
Greg received his doctorate degree in Humanities in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Asian Studies and Comparative Religion last May. Everyone is glad that Greg was finally able to get out of school before he retired.

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