Sorting Data by Multiple Columns in Excel

1. Click into the column you wish to sort

2. Click either Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.  In Excel 2003 these buttons are found on the Standard toolbar.  In Excel 2007/10 these buttons can be placed and used on the Quick Access Toolbar

Sorting by Multiple Columns

1. Sort by column as described above.

2. The order that you sort is important:  the first column you sort by will be sorted within the second.  The second within the third and so on.

Freezing Panes in Excel

To freeze columns and/or rows so they stay on screen when you scroll, click in a cell that is beneath the rows you want to freeze and/or to the right of the columns you want to freeze.

Excel 2003 users

Click Window | Freeze Panes

Excel 2007/2010 users

Click View [tab] |Freeze Panes |Freeze Panes

NB. Go back to the same commands to unfreeze panes.

Create Equal Column Widths in an Excel Table

Creating Equal Column Widths

1. Click in the square at the top left of your worksheet – this will select the whole worksheet

2. Adjust the width of any column in the worksheet and all the other columns will adopt exactly the same width

NB You can also use this method with AutoFit.  AutoFit any column and all other columns will AutoFit.  As a reminder on how to AutoFit – double-click on the line between any columns in the column header area of your worksheet.

F11 Shortcut for Creating Excel Charts

Create a chart with the F11 key

Click in any cell in your chart data and press F11 on your keyboard.  This will create a chart on a separate sheet.

Changing an Excel Chart's Location

Excel charts can either appear on a separate sheet, or on the same sheet as its data:  Here's how to change a Chart’s Location:

Excel 2003 users

1.         Click Chart | Location

2.         Choose your location

Excel 2007/10 users

1.         Click Design [tabl] | Move Chart

2.         Choose your location

If you need Chart training, try our Basic Excel Course

How to Create a Secondary Axis in an Excel Chart

If you have to plot two or more sets of data that will not be visible on the same scale - you will need to create a secondary axis to plot one of the series of data against.

Click on the link to see the full Excel tip on how to create a Secondary Axis in an Excel Chart

Setting the Default Chart in Excel

Setting the Default Chart Type

1. The default chart type is applied when you use F11 to create your chart

Excel 2003 users

2. Click Chart | Chart Type

Excel 2007/2010 users

2. Click Design [tab] Change Chart Type

3. Select the chart type you want to make the default

4. Click Set as default chart

See details of our Excel training courses