How To Make a Table in Google Sheets, and Make It Look Great

How To Make a Table in Google Sheets

Creating a table in Google Sheets is easy, and you can enhance its appearance to make it look great. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Step 1: Open Google Sheets

Go to Google Drive (drive.google.com) and sign in to your Google account.

Click on the “+ New” button on the left-hand side and select “Google Sheets.”

Step 2: Enter Data

Once you’re in Google Sheets, enter your data. Each row will represent a different entry, and each column will represent a different category of information.

Step 3: Select Data Range

Click and drag to select the range of cells that you want to include in your table.

Step 4: Create a Table

Click on the “Insert” menu in the top menu bar.

Select “Table.” This will automatically apply a basic table format to your selected range.

Step 5: Customize the Table

With the table selected, you’ll see a toolbar at the top right corner. Here, you can:

Change the table’s name.

Adjust the range (if needed).

Apply different table styles (e.g., Light, Medium, Dark).

Step 6: Format the Table for a Great Look

Here are some tips to make your table look great:

Apply Alternating Colors:

Select the table.

Right-click and choose “Format cells.”

In the “Formatting style“ tab, check “Alternating colors” and choose your colors.

Bold Headers:

Click and drag to select the headers.

Click the “B” (bold) icon in the toolbar.

Adjust Text Alignment:

Select the cells or range you want to adjust.

Use the alignment buttons in the toolbar to align text left, center, or right.

Add Borders:

Select the cells or range you want to add borders to.

Click the “Borders” icon in the toolbar and choose your border style.

Change Font and Font Size:

Use the font and font size dropdown menus in the toolbar.

Merge Cells (if necessary):

Select the cells you want to merge.

Click the “Merge cells” icon in the toolbar.

Adjust Column Width and Row Height:

Hover over the line between two columns or rows until a double-headed arrow appears.

Click and drag to adjust the size.

Step 7: Add Charts and Conditional Formatting (Optional)

To enhance your table further, you can add charts to visualize the data. Use the “Insert” menu and select “Chart.”

You can also apply conditional formatting to highlight specific data points. Select the range, click on “Format” in the toolbar, and choose “Conditional formatting.”

Step 8: Save and Share

Your table will be automatically saved in Google Drive. Give it a name by clicking on the title at the top.

If you want to share it, click the “Share” button in the top right corner and enter the email addresses of the people you want to share it with.

That’s it! You’ve now created and formatted a table in Google Sheets, and hopefully, it looks great.

How to Format a Table in Google Sheets

Formatting a table in Google Sheets involves adjusting various aspects like fonts, colors, borders, and alignment to make it visually appealing and easy to read. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to format a table in Google Sheets:

1. Select the Table:

Click and drag to select the range of cells that make up your table.

2. Access the Formatting Options:

In the toolbar at the top, you’ll find various formatting options. These include font, font size, font color, bold, italics, underline, text alignment, fill color, borders, and more.

3. Format Text:

Use the following options in the toolbar to format text:

Font: Choose a specific font style.

Font Size: Adjust the size of the text.

Bold, Italics, Underline: Apply these styles to text as needed.

Font Color: Change the color of the text.

4. Align Text:

Select the cells or range you want to adjust, then use the alignment buttons in the toolbar to align text left, center, or right.

5. Apply Fill Colors:

Select the cells or range you want to apply a fill color to.

Click the paint bucket icon in the toolbar and choose a color.

6. Add Borders:

Select the cells or range you want to add borders to.

Click the “Borders” icon in the toolbar and choose your border style. You can apply borders to the outside of the selected range, as well as inside the cells.

7. Adjust Column Width and Row Height:

Hover over the line between two columns or rows until a double-headed arrow appears.

Click and drag to adjust the size.

8. Merge Cells:

Select the cells you want to merge.

Click the “Merge cells” icon in the toolbar.

9. Apply Conditional Formatting (Optional):

Conditional formatting allows you to automatically format cells based on specific conditions (e.g., highlight cells that contain a certain value).

Select the range, click on “Format” in the toolbar, and choose “Conditional formatting.”

10. Apply Number Formatting:

Select the range of cells containing numbers.

Click on the “123” icon in the toolbar. Here you can choose from various number formats like currency, percentages, date, and more.

11. Insert Charts and Graphs (Optional):

To visualize your data, you can insert charts. Use the “Insert” menu and select “Chart.”

12. Save and Share:

Your table will be automatically saved in Google Drive. Give it a name by clicking on the title at the top.

If you want to share it, click the “Share” button in the top right corner and enter the email addresses of the people you want to share it with.

Remember, formatting can enhance the readability and visual appeal of your table. Experiment with different styles to find what works best for your specific data and presentation needs.

How to make a table in Google Sheets with Alternating colors

Creating a table with alternating colors in Google Sheets is a great way to improve readability. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Open Google Sheets

Go to Google Drive (drive.google.com) and sign in to your Google account.

Click on the “+ New” button on the left-hand side and select “Google Sheets.”

Step 2: Enter Data

Once you’re in Google Sheets, enter your data. Each row will represent a different entry, and each column will represent a different category of information.

Step 3: Select Data Range

Click and drag to select the range of cells that you want to include in your table.

Step 4: Apply Alternating Colors

Right-click on the selected range, then click on “Format cells.”

In the “Formatting style” tab, you’ll see an option called “Alternating colors.” Check the box next to it.

You can now choose the colors you want for your alternating rows. You can select both a light and dark color. The light color will be applied to even-numbered rows, while the dark color will be applied to odd-numbered rows.

Once you’ve chosen your colors, click “Done.”

Step 5: Customize Further (Optional)

If you want to further customize your table, you can adjust fonts, font sizes, apply bold or italics, add borders, and more using the formatting options in the toolbar.

Step 6: Save and Share

Your table will be automatically saved in Google Drive. Give it a name by clicking on the title at the top.

If you want to share it, click the “Share” button in the top right corner and enter the email addresses of the people you want to share it with.

That’s it! You’ve now created a table in Google Sheets with alternating colors to enhance readability.