6.11: Changing Width of Columns and Rows
Learning Outcomes
- Change width of columns and rows.
After you have entered several columns of data into a worksheet, you may realize you cannot read all the information in every cell. In this case you may want to resize the column. Microsoft Excel allows you resize column width to AutoFit the text, meaning each column will be sized according to the longest string of text in the column. Alternatively, for visual appeal, you may want all the columns in your table to have the same length; you can easily change multiple columns at the same time to have the same width. As in previous pages, the steps below explain how to resize a column, but the same steps can be used to resize a row as well.
AutoFit Column Width to Text
First, we will discuss making a column width AutoFit to the length of text in that column. Note that when you AutoFit column widths, Excel will make the column length match that of the longest string of text in any cell in that column.
Method 1
- Identify the column you wish to resize.
- Hover your mouse on the right boundary of the topmost cell of that column so that you see a cross or T shape. (If you are resizing a row, you will hover over the bottom boundary)
- Double-click on that right boundary.
- The column will automatically resize to fit the longest string of text in that column.
Compare the three columns on the left with the three on the right to see the results.
Method 2
You may also use the Format button in the Cells group of the ribbon to achieve the same results. From the dropdown menu, you will choose AutoFit Column Width or AutoFit Row Height. Note that if you wish to resize multiple columns, simply select them all before clicking on the Format button.
Set all columns to the same width
At other times, from visual reasons you may wish all columns (or rows) to have the same width (or height), regardless of the amount of text in them. Or you may want a single column to have a specified width.
Method 1
In this case, you will use the pixel information provided by Excel to manually resize the columns.
- Identify the column width you wish to resize.
- Hover your mouse on the right boundary of that column so that you see a cross or T shape. (If you are resizing a row, you will hover over the bottom boundary)
- Hold down your mouse button and drag the right boundary until you reach the desired pixel width. The pixels will be displayed in the parentheses.
- Release the mouse button.
Method 2
You may also use the Format button in the Cells group of the ribbon to set a specific column width. From the dropdown menu, you will choose Column Width or Row Height and manually type in the size you wish each column (or row) to be. Again, if you wish to resize multiple columns, simply select them all before clicking on the Format button.
Contributors and Attributions
- Changing Width of Columns and Rows. Authored by : Shelli Carter. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution