How to make all cells the same size in Excel

Spreadsheets allow us to structure, assess, and manipulate large amounts of data. And we can ensure our spreadsheets are clear and readable by using formatting tools. But if you neglect to format your data, you will likely create poorly structured sheets that are difficult to read.

One way to improve the layout in Excel is to adjust cell width and height to make each one the same size:

  1. Launch your Excel spreadsheet
  2. Use Ctrl+A to select all cells
  3. Click and drag the borders of the header cells
  4. Release to confirm your adjustments

Microsoft Excel features several tools that allow you to customize and arrange your spreadsheets. Although a simple word wrap can do wonders, it’s not always enough. So consider scaling your sheet’s cell sizes and altering the text’s size or font.

You can access the most relevant sections in this post by using the shortcuts below.

  1. How to scale cell size in Microsoft Excel
  2. How to enable word wrap
  3. How to adjust text font and size in Excel
  4. Blog post recap

How to scale cell size in Microsoft Excel

Word wrap can achieve a great deal when cleaning up your spreadsheet. However, should you fail to use additional features in conjunction with word wrap, you may produce further issues. Take the spreadsheet below, for instance: each cell’s length is vastly disproportionate to its width, and the text isn’t easily readable.

Fortunately, we can save this spreadsheet by increasing each cell’s length in conjunction with our word wrap. Don’t worry if you don’t know how. We’ll be getting to that right away.

Cell size scaling

Select the cells you want to adjust by clicking the triangle in the top left corner of the spreadsheet. Then, click, hold, and drag the columns that separate the header cells (i.e., the line between A and B). Dragging left will produce thinner cells, whereas pulling right will create wider cells.

Alternate method to make cells the same size

After selecting each cell, you can right-click the header row or header column to access the “Column Width” or “Row Height” options, where you can manually enter a specific width or height.

How to enable word wrap

Word wrap is a feature that constrains text within a cell so that the written content cannot overflow and overlap. Using word wrap will ensure that your spreadsheets remain presentable and professional. You may also find the feature helpful if your text is too large and you cannot read it due to neighboring cells.

Word wrap will automatically adjust each cell’s length as you fill it, enabling it to show you its content consistently and readably.

Using word wrap

To use word wrap, create a selection of the cells you’d like to adjust. You can achieve this by clicking, holding, and dragging from one cell to another. Then, refer to the ribbon at the top of the window and ensure you’re in the “Home” tab. Then, find and select “Wrap Text” under the “Alignment” category.

How to adjust text font and size in Excel

While it may be tempting to make something big and flashy, it will not always achieve the desired affect. Especially if your table can’t contain everything proportionately. So strive to find a scale that fits just right, and aim for readability.

Although smaller fonts take up less space, they can affect the readability of your spreadsheet. With this in mind, try to avoid making your text smaller than the default size (11 pixels).

Using smaller fonts — 1

To start, make a selection containing the cells you would like to alter. You can do so by clicking, holding, and dragging from the highest point of the table to the lowest point on the opposite side.

Using smaller fonts — 2

In the “Home” tab, under the “Font” category, you will find the theme fonts and text size boxes. By default, the font box will read: “Calibri.” However, you can reveal additional options by selecting the box’s dropdown. Then, you can choose a new font by clicking its name (hovering over a font will allow you to preview it). Finally, you can use the adjacent box containing a number to adjust your selected cells’ text sizes.

Blog post recap

Excel spreadsheets feature small cells, so adding lots of data can get chaotic. Fortunately, we can circumvent this issue by exploiting Excel’s layout and formatting options. In doing so, we can wrap our text to prevent overflow, adjust our fonts for readability, and alter our cell’s size for consistency and organization.

If you enjoyed this post or found the content helpful, please consider checking out some more of our Excel-related posts. Each writer works incredibly hard to produce valuable and comprehensive content.

Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell has been the Operations manager at telecoms and MSP Optionbox for more than 4 years. He has played a crucial role in the company, from marketing to helpdesk, and ensures that the IT requirements of over 300 clients are continuously met. With his innate passion for technology and troubleshooting and a particular interest in Apple products, Jack now delivers the most comprehensive tech guides to make your life easier. You can connect with Jack on LinkedIn.

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