Course / Keyboard Shortcuts

Formatting and finishing touches

Bold headers, quick totals, currency and percent formats, a date stamp and a formula check, all from the keyboard. Beginner · 5 min · Ctrl+B, Alt+=, Ctrl+Shift+4, Ctrl+Shift+5, Ctrl+;, Ctrl+`

A raw grid of numbers is correct but hard to read. These shortcuts turn it into a report in under a minute:

• Ctrl+B and Ctrl+I: bold and italic
• Alt+=: AutoSum
• Ctrl+Shift+4: currency format
• Ctrl+Shift+5: percent format
• Ctrl+;: today's date
• Ctrl+`: show formulas instead of results

> On a Mac, the system keeps ⌘⇧4, ⌘⇧5 and ⌘ plus the backtick key for screenshots and window switching. Use the $, % and Show formulas buttons in the toolbar for those; the steps accept either.

Steps

1. This is eight weeks of numbers from a coffee cart. Start with the header: select A1:E1 and press Ctrl+B.

2. Total the revenue: select B10 and press Alt+=. AutoSum proposes =SUM(B2:B9); press Enter to accept. Then total Costs and Profit in C10:D10 too.

3. Money should look like money. Select B2:D10 and press Ctrl+Shift+4, or click $ in the toolbar.

4. The margins are decimals like 0.4. Select E2:E9 and press Ctrl+Shift+5, or click % in the toolbar.

5. The note in A12 is background, not data. Select it and press Ctrl+I to set it in italics.

6. Stamp the report: select B13, next to Report date, and press Ctrl+; to enter today's date.

7. Finally, check the working behind the numbers. Press Ctrl+` (the key above Tab) or click Show formulas in the toolbar. Press it again to switch back.

Remember

• Ctrl+B and Ctrl+I toggle bold and italic.
• Alt+= writes a SUM of the numbers above.
• Ctrl+Shift+4 and Ctrl+Shift+5 apply currency and percent formats.
• Ctrl+; stamps today's date and Ctrl+` reveals every formula.

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