Creating an Excel Spreadsheet
1. Launch Excel: Before you can start creating your spreadsheet, you need to launch Microsoft Excel. On a Windows computer, you can locate Excel in the Start menu and open it.
2. Choose a blank workbook: In the welcome screen that appears after you launch Excel, select “Blank workbook”.
3. Add column headings: The top row of the worksheet is devoted to headers. Each column should have a heading which describes what the data within the column is about.
4. Enter data: Now you can begin entering the data for your spreadsheet. You can type it in manually or copy and paste from another document. Once you have entered the data into the cells, you can move on to the next step.
5. Format your data: Formatting your data will make it look more organized and easier to read. You can change font type and size, and apply bold, italic, underline or strikethrough formatting to text. You can also apply different fill colors to cells.
6. Create formulas: Formulas can be used to perform calculations on your data. For example, you can use formulas to sum up the numbers in a column or row. To enter a formula, select a cell where you want the result of your calculations to appear, type the formula followed by an equals sign ( = ), then select the other cells containing the data you want to use in the formula.
7. Insert charts: Charts and graphs can be used to visualize your data. To insert a chart, go to the “Insert” tab and select the type of chart you’d like to insert. Then, click and drag the chart onto your worksheet and select the range of cells containing the data you’d like to include in the chart.
8. Save your workbook: Once you have finished creating your spreadsheet, be sure to save the workbook. To save your workbook, go to the “File” tab and click “Save As”. You can save the file as an .xlsx (Excel Workbook) or .xls (Excel 97-2003 Workbook) file.
These are the basic steps involved in creating an Excel spreadsheet. With practice, you can become an expert spreadsheet creator. Try exploring some of the many functions, formulas and features Excel has to offer!