Excel 2016: Conditional Formatting in Depth

Overview

Learn how to use Excel's conditional formatting to highlight data dynamically, to emphasize key results or spot trends and patterns in your spreadsheets.

Excel's conditional formatting feature allows you to highlight data based on cell contents, making it easy to spot trends and patterns and emphasize key results. Though this process can be quick and easy, many Excel users don't know how to use conditional formatting to its fullest potential. In this brief course, Excel trainer Dennis Taylor walks you through how to apply and customize conditional formatting to quickly pinpoint variances in your data. Dennis begins with a demonstration of how to format based on cell content or formulas. Next, he shows how to go beyond Excel's default formatting (cell highlighting) by using data bars, icon sets, and color scales. Lastly, Dennis shows how to apply conditional formatting across rows, including how to highlight PivotTable results and incorporate check boxes and data validation pick lists to create dynamic visual displays.

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome
Using the exercise files

1. Conditional Formatting Based on Content or Formulas

Formatting based on Highlight Cell Rules options
Formatting based on unique or duplicate values
Formatting based on Top/Bottom Rules options
Formatting based on formulas
Editing rule descriptions

2. Conditional Formatting Using Data Bars, Color Scales, and Icon Sets

Using data bars to display length or volume
Using color scales to display relative differences
Using icon sets to provide strong visual emphasis

3. Specialized Conditional Formatting Uses

Applying conditional formatting across rows of data
Highlighting PivotTable results
Using data validation pick lists and conditional formatting for dynamic visual displays
Using conditional formatting to apply banded rows
Locating conditional formatting cells

Conclusion