Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Basics

GETTING STARTED

The Excel Window

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1) Quick Access Toolbar – Stores shortcuts for commonly used tools such as Save, Undo,
and Print.
2) MS Office Button – Comparable to the Menu Bar in older versions of Excel. This is
similar to clicking “File” and then “Open.” Other commonly used commands are also
stored on the Quick Access Toolbar.
3) Tab Bar – Each Tab displays tools and commands in the Ribbon located just beneath the
Tab Bar.
4) Ribbon – Contains the most commonly used tools used in MS Excel 2007.
5) Worksheet Area – Displays the current worksheet you are working on or have open for
viewing.
6) Sheet Tabs – Displays the current sheet tabs available to you in your worksheet as well
as shortcuts for navigating through each sheet.
7) Status Bar – Contains worksheet information as well as additional zoom and worksheet
shortcuts.
Opening a Worksheet

1. Click the MS Office Button

2. Click Open
3. In the Open Dialog Box select the file you wish to open from your My Documents folder
– or navigate to a different location on your computer to open the file from there.
4. Either Double Click the file to open it or click the file once and then click Open.

Saving a Worksheet

1. Click the MS Office Button

2. Click Save from the menu to save the file you are working on.
3. Select where you would prefer the file to be saved.
4. Type in the name of the file in the File Name box.
5. Click Save.

Saving a Worksheet in Another Format

MS Excel 2007 worksheets can only be opened in previous version of MS Excel if the MS
Office Compatibility Pack for Office 2007 has been installed. If your teachers and staff are
having difficulties opening a 2007 file you created because you use 2007 and they do not then
please check with your building TRT. They have an installation disk that can be used to install
this program on computers that run earlier version of Excel. If you need to send this file to
someone outside of the corporation and you cannot confirm if they are running the compatibility
pack or a staff member in your building has not had the Compatibility Pack installed on their
computer, then you will need to save your file under a different format.

1. Click the MS Office Button

2. Point to Save As
3. Click Excel 97-2003 Workbook
4. Type in the name of the file in the File Name box
5. Click Save

Previewing/Printing a Worksheet

1. Click the MS Office Button

2. Point to the arrow next to Print.
a. Select Print Preview to view your worksheet before printing – click the Close

Print Preview button to return to your worksheet.

 b. Select Print to send your worksheet to the printer.
i. Click OK to print.
ii. Or from the Quick Access Toolbar click the Print button to send
the worksheet to your default printer.

For the remainder of the guide we will be focusing on a few of the different Tabs in the Tab Bar
as well as groups in the Ribbon.

HOME

The HOME tab contains the majority of your formatting and paragraph commands.

Clipboard Group

In the Clipboard Group you have the Copy, Cut, Paste, and Format Painter buttons available for
quick access.

Font Group

In this group you have the ability to change the Font Type, Size and can change the color and
look of the text with Bold, Italics, and Underline. Some of the new buttons in the Font group
include:

Grow Font/Shrink Font - - This button allows you to quickly increase and decrease the
font size without having to type any numbers in.

Border Button - - This button allows you to set borders around your cells in your
worksheet.

Launcher - - The Launcher Button allows you to open the dialog box of each group for any
other buttons or commands that may not be displayed in that Group.

Alignment Group

1. To change the cell alignment on your page, select the cell(s) you want to change and
click one of the cell alignment buttons.

Top Align
 Middle Align

Bottom Align
2. To change the text alignment, select the text/cell(s) you want to change and click one of
the alignment buttons. Or click one of the alignment buttons in a blank cell and start
typing.

Align Text Left

Center

Align Text Right

3. To change the text orientation click the Orientation button. This will allow you to
rotate your text vertically or diagonally.
4. To change the margin/indent spacing click the Decrease Indent or Increase Indent

buttons. This button allows you to decrease or increase the margin between the
border and the text in the cell.

5. Click the Wrap Text button to make all content visible within a cell by displaying
it on multiple lines.
6. Click the Merge and Center button to join the selected cells into one larger cell
and center the contents in the new cell.

Number Group

1. Click the Number Format drop down arrow to choose how the values in
a cell are displayed: as a percentage, currency, date and time, etc.
2. Click the Accounting Number Format button (aka Currency Button) to format
the selected cells to US currency. Click the drop down arrow to choose an alternate
format for the selected cells (such as U.K. and Euro).
3. Click the Percentage Style button to display the value of the selected cells as a
percentage.
4. Click the Comma Style button to display the value of the selected cells with a
thousands separator.
5. Click the Increase Decimal button to show more percise values by showing more
decimal places.
6. Click the Decrease Decimal button to show less percise values by showing fewer
decimal places.
Styles Group

1. Click the Conditional Formatting button to highlight

interesting cells.
2. Click the Format as Table button to quickly format a range of cells
and convert it to a Table by choosing a pre-defined Table Style.
3. Click the Cell Styles button to quickly format a cell by choosing from
pre-defined styles.

Cells Group

1. Click the Insert button to insert a cell, row, or column into your current
worksheet.
2. Click the Delete button to delete a column or row from your current
worksheet.
3. Click the Format button to change the row height or column width,
organize sheets, or protect or hide cells.

Edition Group

1. Click the Sum button to display the sum of the selected cells directly after the
selected cells.
a. If you want a quick sum of selected cells without displaying the data into a cell
just highlight the cells and you will see the average, count, and sum in the bottom
right of the worksheet.
 2. Click the Fill button to continue a pattern into one or more adjacent cells.
a. Type the text or value in the first cell then select that cell and the cells you want
the value to fill to, then click the Fill button.
3. Click the Clear button to delete everything from the cell. Or click the drop down
arrow to selectively remove the formatting, contents, or comments from the selected
cells.

4. Click the Sort & Filter button to arrange the data so that it is easier to analyze. For
example, you can sort selected data in ascending or descending.

5. Click the Find & Select button to find and select specific text, formatting, or type
of information within the worksheet (i.e. Find and Replace).

INSERT

Tables Group

1. Use the Pivot Table and Table buttons to insert either into your worksheet.
a. To convert your data to a table open a worksheet or type the data into your new
worksheet.
b. Highlight the cells you want to convert to a table.
c. Click the Table button.
d. If the selection is correct click OK, if not reselect the appropriate cells and click
OK.

Illustrations Group

Pictures and Clip Art

1. Click on your worksheet where you want your picture or clipart to be inserted.
2. Click Insert from the Tab Bar:

To Insert a Picture click the Picture button . Navigate to where the picture is
saved on your desktop. Double click the picture to insert it into your worksheet.

To Insert Clip Art click the Clip Art button . In the Clip Art task pane that
displays on the right side of your screen type in a keyword into the Search for:
 field. Click Go. Scroll through the different selections. Click the clipart once to
insert it into your worksheet.

To Insert Shapes click the Shapes button, select the desired shape from the
drop down menu, drag your mouse until the shape is the size you desire.

To Insert SmartArt, click the SmartArt button, select the desired SmartArt,
type in the information if necessary. Click on a blank area of your worksheet to
complete the SmartArt.

Charts Group

1. To Insert Charts click Insert from the Tab Bar. Type (or open) and then select the data
and values you would like to create a chart from. Select the data and values, and then
click the desired chart from the list below. Click on a blank area of your worksheet to
complete the chart.

Text Group

1. To Insert a Text Box, click Insert from the Tab Bar. Click the Text Box
button. Drag your mouse to the desired text box size, or click and start typing to begin to
enter data into your text box. Click on a blank area of your worksheet to complete the text
box.
2. To Insert a Header or Footer, click Insert from the Tab Bar. Click the Header & Footer

button. Click inside the left, center, or right area of the Header
(depending on what type of alignment you desire) and type your data. Click on a blank
area of your worksheet to complete the Header. To Insert a Footer click the Header &

Footer button as described above and then click the Go To Footer button. Click
inside the left, center, or right area of the Footer (depending on what type of alignment
you desire) and type your data. Click on a blank area of your worksheet to complete the
Footer.

3. To Insert WordArt, click Insert from the Tab Bar. Click the WordArt
button. Select the style of WordArt you desire, type in your text, and then click on a
blank area of your worksheet to complete the WordArt.
PAGE LAYOUT

Page Setup Group

Setting Page Margins

1. From the Tab Bar, click Page Layout

2. Click the Margins Button

3. Select the Margins you prefer from the drop down menu or click Custom Margins… at
the bottom of the drop down menu.
a. If you selected Custom Margins you will see a screen that looks similar to the
older version of Excel. Here you will enter in the margins you prefer. When
finished click OK.

Changing Page Orientation

1. From the Tab Bar, click Page Layout

2. Click the Orientation Button

3. Select Portrait or Landscape

Changing Page Size

1. From the Tab Bar, click Page Layout

2. Click the Size Button

3. Select the size of the paper from the drop down menu or select More Paper Sizes to
choose an additional size
a. Click OK

Setting the Print Area

1. From the Tab Bar, click Page Layout

2. Highlight the area that you want to set as your Print Area.

3. Click the Print Area Button.

4. Click Set Print Area
a. To change the print area click the Print Area Button and select either Clear
Print Area to define a new print area or clear the existing one, or select Add to
Print Area to add more cells to the area.
Formulas

Function Library Tab

1. From the Formulas Tab, click the Insert Function button from the Formulas Tab
to edit the formula in the current cell by choosing functions and editing the arguments.
2. From the Formulas Tab, click the Auto Sum Button to display the sum
of the selected cells directly after the selected cells.

3. From the Formulas Tab, click the Recently Used Button to browse and
select a list of most recently used functions.

4. From the Formulas Tab, click the Date & Time Button to browse and
select from a list of date & time functions.

Data

Sort & Filter Tab

1. From the Data Tab, click the Sort Button to sort the selected data in Ascending
or Descending order.

View

Window Tab

Splitting Panes
1. To split panes to view two parts of a worksheet at once from the View Tab, click the

Split Button in the Window Group.

2. Click and drag the split bars into the positions you want.

3. To remove the split, click the Split Button again.

Freezing a Row or Column

1. To freeze horizontal or vertical panes to keep row and column labels or other data visible
as you scroll through your worksheet click the View Tab.
a. To Freeze rows, click the row below where you want the split to appear.
b. To Freeze columns, click the column to the right where you want the split to
appear
 c. To Freeze both rows and columns, select the cell below and to the right of where
you want the split to appear.

2. Click the Freeze Panes Button in the Window Group.

3. Select Freeze Panes from the drop down menu.

4. To Unfreeze, click the Freeze Panes button in the Window Group and
select Unfreeze Panes from the drop down menu.
5. If you just want to freeze the top row or first column click the Freeze Panes

Button and select either the Freeze Top Row or Freeze First Column.

HELP

Using MS Office Excel Help

1. To get help within Excel click the Excel Help button on the Tab Bar or press F1 for
help.
2. Browse one of the topics by clicking on the links below:

3. Once you have clicked on a topic you can do one of the following:

a. Click the Back button to move back to the previous page.

b. Click the Forward button to move forward to the previous page.
c. Click the Stop button to stop the connection to the topic you clicked.
d. Click the Refresh button to refresh the screen
e. Click the Home button to return to the Help Home Page.
f. Clickt he Print button to print a topic.
g. Click the Change Font Size button to change the size of the text on your Help
screen.
h. Click the Show Table of Contents to display the table of contents on your screen
i. Click the Hide Table of Contents button to hide the table of contents on
your screen.
i. Click the Keep On Top button to keep your Help Topics on top of your open
worksheet.
i. Click the Not On Top button to keep the Help Topics behind your open
worksheet.