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Online Microsoft Excel Tutorials

Add Pizzazz Using Background Images in Excel®

If you have basic computer education, you may have added to your knowledge with online courses. There are advanced tutorials in Word and PowerPoint® that could make your life at the keyboard much easier. If you work a lot with spreadsheets and worksheets, advanced Excel training may prove helpful. Now, with all this computer help, you can feel comfortable getting a little creative, maybe even a little wild, when working on important presentations.

Spreadsheets are valuable tools. If you are not a mathematics wiz, they can indeed be a lifesaver. One useful feature is the calculation of figures, using arithmetic functions. In Microsoft® Excel, a formula bar is used for typing formulas. Any formula preceded by an equal sign can be inserted into this bar or in a specific cell.

If you are looking for more than just time saving ideas or convenient options and are striving to be a little more creative, consider putting a little zip into your spreadsheets and some oomph in your worksheets. Adding more numbers, cells, or columns could add to your “yawn factor” so why not create a background that will make your stats sizzle?

When creating web pages, designers understand that white space can be quite effective in making the viewer’s eye focus on a particular image. If you are presenting a lot of statistics, numbers, and symbols, replacing solid white with interesting backgrounds might be a very smart option. You can create an image-building background for your Excel spreadsheets and worksheets.

Any Excel worksheet can have an image as a background. Each sheet of your workbook can have a different image, adding interest and color to any presentation. For a cleaner look, you should consider removing grid lines when using an image for your background.

Now, before you become the Steven Spielberg of backgrounds, make sure that an image background will enhance your presentation, not confuse or clutter it. Creativity is applauded only when it improves and clarifies your message. So, after you have determined which worksheets will benefit from background enhancement, really pay attention to your image selection. If you want humor, be sure the humor is in good taste and won’t offend anyone. If you want to add drama, try to avoid disturbing, violent, or gory images. It may work for you, but think of your audience. Your taste may not be their taste at all. Consider your audience’s background and culture. If you are not politically correct, your background image could bury your presentation.

How do you get started?

After determining which spreadsheets/worksheets would benefit from an image background, you...

1. Open the Format menu.
2. Select Sheet At that point you should notice a pop-up side menu.
3. Select Background from this smaller, pop-up menu.
4. A new pop-up menu will appear. That will allow you to search your hard drive for the image you would like for a background.
5. Find the image you want and click on Open.

You now have a background image for one or all of your worksheets. If you want to change the image background for each sheet, simply follow these steps. If for any reason the image you choose is too small, tiles will fill in unwanted white space.

If you ever change your mind about the image background that you are using, you can always undo your work. How?

1. Make sure the worksheet you want to revise is active.
2. Open the Format menu.
3. Select Sheet.
4. A small pop-up menu will appear. When it does, click on Delete Background.

It seems like such an obvious idea, but backgrounds have been ignored for a long time. They are rarely considered when an employee is creating spreadsheets or worksheets for presentations. Yet, after trying it, you may discover that by adding a good background to your data, your audience just might respond with a little more enthusiasm.

Try it. See what happens.

Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries.
About the Author

About the Author:
Elaine Landau is a freelance writer, publicist, web site editor, and television writer with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and publicity.

About Video Professor:
Video Professor is the industry leader in self-paced computer software tutorials. Tutorials are offered on CD-ROM and through Video Professor Online, an Internet-based program.

Microsoft Excel?

I am trying to set up a formula where the cell reads data from another tab within the same file, like a cell reference, the cell keeps saying "?NAME" when I enter it in. I have tried looking up excel tutorials online, but no success.

you need to put in the name of the tab you are going to, it will look something like this

='Sheet2'!A1

its alot easier to start the formula then click the tab & cell you want as that will put in the tab name for you

Online Microsoft Excel Tutorials
MS Excel Tutorial - Introduction To Microsoft Excel

Excel Expert User Review- Can This Guide Really Teach You How To Use Excel?

Microsoft has developed such an important software; excel, which is the basic requirement of any business. Excel is a software program which compiles the data and gives the desired results with the help of different options. It can keep lot of data and can give the desired data results. Excel program contain various options which is very useful for everyone. If somebody is not aware with the options and the way to use it cannot be benefited with this. To see the requirement of excel in today's world one should learn how to use excel.

To learn this you can take the help from the online ‘Help' option which is provided with every excel program. Similarly you can visit various websites related to excel programs. There are many excel tutorials available in websites with the help of which one can learn to use microsoft excel. Some options of this program are really easy which doesn't require any guidance but for some like formulas and pivot table options you would require help and practice to using these options. Excel is also very user friendly.

When you will learn how to use excel you can use it as per your business or work requirement. Excel has its own quality it can be used as data collection tool, decision support tool and data converter. Excel performs a wide variety of functions which even enables many organizations to run their business using excel tool. Hence everybody should learn to use microsoft excel to meet the small and basic necessities of their occupation. Your more and more practice in to this will introduce you with the lot many other benefits and usage.

About the Author

Torri Andrews has been an internet shopper for many years. She does all of her shopping online and enjoys writing reviews about products and services and purchases.

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Online Microsoft Excel Tutorials