Formatting Excel Spreadsheets

[Helen]

Good day,

In my office, an accounting firm, many employees create Excel spreadsheets
and send them off without applying any kind of formatting. It is frustrating
for the person who opens the Excel spreadsheet and tries to print it. Has
anyone created a template or a macro that would be standard, just like in
Word (Normal.dot)? I'm looking for something that would be quickly applied:
the Page Setup options.

Thank you!

Helene

 

[JLatham]

Helen,
There are a couple of ways to attack this problem.

The easiest is probably to set up an Excel workbook just the way you want it
and save it as a Template (.xlt) file. Distribute it to your employees and
require that they start all new workbooks using File | New ... from Template
and then choose the corporate standard template file.

Another way would be to record a macro while setting up a workbook the way
you want and save it in everyone's personal.xls file and have them run the
macro each time they start a new workbook - this is much clumsier to initiate
than the .xlt method.

Others may make other suggestions as the day goes on.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Good day,

In my office, an accounting firm, many employees create Excel spreadsheets
and send them off without applying any kind of formatting. It is frustrating
for the person who opens the Excel spreadsheet and tries to print it. Has
anyone created a template or a macro that would be standard, just like in
Word (Normal.dot)? I'm looking for something that would be quickly applied:
the Page Setup options.

If you mean to create a standard template for new workbooks, see the
"About templates" topic in XL Help.

If you're talking about applying formatting to existing workbooks, many
people have done so, but the exact formatting will be unique to their
application. You might start with recording a macro when you're applying
the format.

If you *just* want to apply Page Setup options, you might try something
like:

http://www.mcgimpsey.com/excel/udfs/pagesetup.html

 

[Helen]

Hello "J",

Thank you for such a prompt reply! I thought of the template but the
problem is that no Excel spreadsheet will be alike, therefore, users would
still have to adjust the formatting, right?

The idea of a macro is still the best option but I am unfortunately unable
to create one. And you mention, to my great relief, that it is clumsier than
the first option.

Educating them would be the best option at this point, I guess.

 

[Gord Dibben]

Helen

Open a new workbook. Customize as you wish.

File>Save As Type: scroll down to Excel Template(*.XLT) and select. Name your
workbook "BOOK"(no quotes). Excel will add the .XLT to save as BOOK.XLT.

Store this workbook in the XLSTART folder usually located at........

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

This will be the default workbook for File>New or the Toolbar button File>New or
CTRL + n

WARNING................Do not use File>New...Blank Workbook or you will get the
Excel default workbook.

NOTE: Existing workbooks are not affected by these settings.

You can also open a new workbook and delete all but one sheet. Customize as
you wish then save this as SHEET.XLT in XLSTART folder also. It now becomes
the default Insert>Sheet.

More can be found on this in Help under "templates"(no quotes).


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Helen]

Thank you everybody! As usual, very helpful hints and tricks!