Microsoft Excel:  Resize a Column

Do you wish there was an easier way to resize that column? Depending on how you currently do it, there may be a more efficient way.

To resize a column, click and drag the right margin in the headings with your mouse. A comment will appear as you drag letting you know the approximate characters that will fit in your column.

You can also go to the Format menu, move to Column and select Width... (or right-click the column heading and select Column Width...). From here, type the number of characters wide you would like the column to be. Remember, the character width is the average character width and may need to be adjusted for your entry.

You can adjust the column width to the widest entry of your selection. First, select a section of the column and then go to the Format menu, select Column and choose AutoFit Selection.

To quickly adjust the column width to the widest entry in the entire column, double-click the right margin of the column in the headings.

If you have any questions regarding this tip or need help implementing it in your own projects, contact Ranelle Maltas, Application Support Associate, at 472-0585 or e-mail at rmaltas2@unl.edu.