While working on an Excel 2003 worksheet, you might want to colour a few of the cells, change the font colour for the text, or add borders to a range of cells. To add colour, you select a cell, click on the dropdown arrow at the right side of the colour button on the toolbar, and click on a colour.

That’s simple enough, but all those trips up and down from the toolbar can get a bit tiring, and take extra time.

To Save Time, Move the Palettes

If you have lots of formatting to do, it will be easier if the palettes are closer to the area where you’re working. You can detach the palettes from the toolbar, and move them onto the worksheet.

Note: This feature is not available in Excel 2007.

To move one of the “tear away” palettes (Font Color, Fill Color, or Borders):

1. On the toolbar, click the dropdown arrow, to open the palette.
2. At the top of the palette, point to the thin grey bar.
3. When your pointer changes to a four-headed arrow, drag the palette down onto the worksheet.

When you’ve finished working with the palette, click the X at its top right, to close it.

And here’s a short video, if you’d like to see the steps performed on screen:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cdcQirSNX0&hl=en]

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Filed under: Excel, Palettes, Toolbars