How to change the font color, size, or type in Excel

In Microsoft Excel, a user can change the properties of text in any cell, including font type, size, color, and make it bold, italic, or underlined. They can also change the color of a cell's background and the border around a cell. The following picture is a graphic illustration of the font and cell format bar in Excel with a description of each option.

Changing font type

To change the text font in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, follow the steps below.

1. Select the cell containing the text you want to change.
2. Click the down arrow next to the font field on the format bar. (To change the font to bold, italic, or underlined, click the B, I, or U on the format bar.)
3. After clicking the down arrow for the font, select from each of the installed fonts on your computer. Click the font you want to use, and the text in the selected cell changes.

Changing font size

To change the text size in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, follow the steps below.

1. Select the cell containing the text you want to change.
2. Click the down arrow next to the size box on the format bar. Usually, the default size is 11 or 12, as shown in the image.
3. After clicking the down arrow for the size, there is a selection of different sizes to choose. Some fonts may not scale properly, so they may have limited size options.

Changing font color

To change the text color in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, follow the steps below.

1. Select the cell containing the text you want to change.
2. Click the down arrow next to the text color icon. It is usually displayed as the letter "A" with a red underline, as shown in the image.
3. After clicking the down arrow for the text color, select the color you want to make the text. If you want a different color than is available in the drop-down menu, click the More Colors option (indicated by green arrow). Select the desired color in the Colors window, and click OK.

Changing cell background color

To change the cell background color within a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, follow the steps below.

1. Select the cell you want to change the background color.
2. Click the down arrow next to the cell color icon. It is usually displayed as tipping paint can with a yellow underline, as shown in the image.
3. After clicking the down arrow for the cell color, select the color you want to make the cell background. If you want a different color than is available in the drop-down menu, click the More Colors option (indicated by green arrow). Select the desired color in the Colors window, and click OK.

Changing cell border

By default, a cell does not have a border. To change the cell border in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, follow the steps below.

1. Select the cell you want to add a border.
2. Click the down arrow next to the cell border icon. It is usually displayed as a four-pane window, as shown in the image above.
3. After clicking the down arrow for the cell border, select the border type you want to set for the cell.

4. To change the cell border color, click the Line Color option at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
5. To change the cell border type, click the Line Style option at the bottom of the drop-down menu.