Strikethrough in Excel: How to Cross Out Text in Cells
Working with Microsoft Excel, users often find a need to mark information as obsolete or completed without removing it entirely from their spreadsheet. This is where the strikethrough feature comes in handy, allowing you to cross out text in individual cells or ranges of cells with ease.
Strikethrough is a typographical presentation of words with a horizontal line through their center, implying that the text is incorrect or no longer relevant. In Excel, this effect can be applied quickly and easily using several methods.
Method 1: Use the Format Cells Dialog
1.Select the cell or range of cells where you want to apply the strikethrough.
2.Right-click and choose ‘Format Cells’ from the context menu. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+1 as a shortcut.
3.In the Format Cells dialog box, navigate to the ‘Font’ tab.
4.Under Effects, check ‘Strikethrough’ and click OK.
5.Your selected text will now appear crossed out.
Method 2: The Ribbon Command
1.Highlight the cells you wish to strike through.
2.Go to the Home tab on the Excel ribbon.
3.In the Font group, you’ll see a button with an “ab” icon with a strikethrough – click it.
4.This method toggles strikethrough on and off for selected cells.
Method 3: Keyboard Shortcut
For those who prefer keyboard shortcuts for efficiency:
1.Select the text you want to strike through.
2.Press Ctrl+5 on your keyboard.
If you ever need to remove strikethrough, simply reapply the same steps above to toggle it off.
Conditional Strikethrough
For dynamic spreadsheets, conditional formatting can be used to automatically apply strikethrough based on certain conditions:
1.Select your range of cells.
2.Go to the Home tab and select Conditional Formatting.
3.Choose ‘New Rule’.
4.Select ‘Format only cells that contain’.
5.Change the rule description so that it fits your condition (for instance, cell value equal to “Done”).
6.Click Format, navigate to Font tab, select Strikethrough and press OK twice.
Now whenever a cell meets your set condition, it will automatically have a strikethrough format applied to it.
Using strikethrough in Excel allows for better management of tasks or lists directly within your workbook without deleting anything permanently or affecting the readability of your data.
Remember that formatting such as strikethrough should be used meaningfully since overusing it could lead to visual clutter and reduce efficiency in your spreadsheet management. Responsible use of such tools helps maintain clarity and professionalism in your documents.
Conclusion:
The strikethrough feature in Excel is an effective way to visually communicate completion or negation of certain entries without removing data entirely from view. Whether using manual methods or conditional formatting, this feature adds flexibility and efficiency in managing data within spreadsheets.