Column widths in Excel 2013

D

Donna in Idaho

I'm working with a Excel file started by someone else, have no idea
which version of Excel and have no contact with this person.

We've done the steps for compatibility to Excel 2013.

There are 12 spreadsheets in this particular file. We need a standard
column width for one of the columns. The column width is different in
just about every spreadsheet. Column widths vary from 11.64 to 14.

However, a couple have the column width as 0.81" & 0.83".

We need this column to be identical in each spreadsheet. If I put, for
instance, 14 in the column that says 0.83" I get a message telling me
that that's wider than the page!!

If I try to change the width from 11.64 to 0.83" - I get this error
message: Your entry cannot be used. An integer or decimal number may
be required.

Help! Why can't I either change all of the column widths to the
"character" width or all to the inches width? I just need them to be
the same size.

Donarden
 
C

CellShocked

I'm working with a Excel file started by someone else, have no idea
which version of Excel and have no contact with this person.

We've done the steps for compatibility to Excel 2013.

There are 12 spreadsheets in this particular file. We need a standard
column width for one of the columns. The column width is different in
just about every spreadsheet. Column widths vary from 11.64 to 14.

However, a couple have the column width as 0.81" & 0.83".

We need this column to be identical in each spreadsheet. If I put, for
instance, 14 in the column that says 0.83" I get a message telling me
that that's wider than the page!!

If I try to change the width from 11.64 to 0.83" - I get this error
message: Your entry cannot be used. An integer or decimal number may
be required.

Help! Why can't I either change all of the column widths to the
"character" width or all to the inches width? I just need them to be
the same size.

Donarden
Click to expand...

As far as I know, they are described in PIXELs.

And that width value will ALWAYS vary from one machine to the next if
there is a different display involved because the number of PIXELs one
display takes to get 2" will be different on another display with a
different array size.

So your goal may only be reachable if you insure that all displays
involved at all desktops involved are the same, or are the same array
size, at the very least.
 
D

Donna in Idaho

I still need to know why (on my own computer) I can't change the column
width from inches to pixels, characters or whatever - or from characters
to inches. I realize there are differences from computer to computer
and printer to printer. I just want to fix it on my own for now - then
figure out what to do with the other two computers involved with this.

donarden
 
C

CellShocked

I still need to know why (on my own computer) I can't change the column
width from inches to pixels, characters or whatever - or from characters
to inches. I realize there are differences from computer to computer
and printer to printer. I just want to fix it on my own for now - then
figure out what to do with the other two computers involved with this.

donarden
Click to expand...

Have you performed an action where you highlight the entire set of
columns involved and do a ctrl-c (copy0 and then on the target, 'copied
to" worksheet, perform a paste special and select "column widths"?
 
D

Donna in Idaho

column width from inches to pixels, characters or whatever - or from
characters to inches. I realize there are differences from computer to
computer and printer to printer. I just want to fix it on my own for
now - then figure out what to do with the other two computers involved
with this.
Have you performed an action where you highlight the entire set of
columns involved and do a ctrl-c (copy0 and then on the target, 'copied
to" worksheet, perform a paste special and select "column widths"?
Click to expand...

Tried your above suggestion: Copied a column that had a 14 width. When
I used the "paste special column widths" on a column that had 0.81"
width - it changed it to 1.13" width. It appears that 1.13" width is
equal to a 14 width. So, guess I'll use the 14 on the sections that are
using that format and 1.13" that are using that format.
Thanks!
donarden
 
G

GS

There must be something seriously wrong with your scale mode!

A col width of 14 is 89 pixels on this machine at 1366x768 res, 103
pixels on my XP machine at 1920x1200 res. On both machines the col
width is 14, and so displays proportionate size on both.

Most people set col width to round numbers (ie:1,2,10,14,...) or just
AutoFit, but NOT pixels. Doing this sets col width the same no matter
what the screen res is! IOW, screen res does not change the column
size, it just changes how it displays at the given screen res!

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
Classic VB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion
 
D

Donna in Idaho

Yes, I know that's how most people set col widths - in round numbers (so
do I). However, we inherited this file from someone else and the column
widths are all over the place from spreadsheet to spreadsheet - not one
of them rounded off. I cannot change the two spreadsheets that have the
width in inches - tried every way I can think of. There are 16
spreadsheets in this file and mostly none of them agree in column
widths. This file needs to go to the printer soon, but we're having a
heck of a time getting it formatted so it looks decent.

Another problem was - half the spreadsheets used Arial for the font &
half used Arial - just to confuse the issue even more.

Had we known all the problems we were going to run into, it probably
would have been easier to start over fresh!

donarden
 
C

CellShocked

There must be something seriously wrong with your scale mode!

A col width of 14 is 89 pixels on this machine at 1366x768 res, 103
pixels on my XP machine at 1920x1200 res. On both machines the col
width is 14, and so displays proportionate size on both.

Most people set col width to round numbers (ie:1,2,10,14,...) or just
AutoFit, but NOT pixels. Doing this sets col width the same no matter
what the screen res is! IOW, screen res does not change the column
size, it just changes how it displays at the given screen res!
Click to expand...

But MY excel (2013) declares column width values in pixels.

well, it says this "8.09 (96 pixels)".

So, in appearance, with my screen at 96 pixels per inch, that equates
to about one inch.

So what the 8.09 refers to, I have no idea. It doesn't match up with
any unit of measure I am aware of.
 
Z

Zaidy036

I'm working with a Excel file started by someone else, have no idea
which version of Excel and have no contact with this person.

We've done the steps for compatibility to Excel 2013.

There are 12 spreadsheets in this particular file. We need a standard
column width for one of the columns. The column width is different in
just about every spreadsheet. Column widths vary from 11.64 to 14.

However, a couple have the column width as 0.81" & 0.83".

We need this column to be identical in each spreadsheet. If I put, for
instance, 14 in the column that says 0.83" I get a message telling me
that that's wider than the page!!

If I try to change the width from 11.64 to 0.83" - I get this error
message: Your entry cannot be used. An integer or decimal number may
be required.

Help! Why can't I either change all of the column widths to the
"character" width or all to the inches width? I just need them to be
the same size.

Donarden
Click to expand...

Uprotect or unlock the sheets
 
G

GS

Try this...

Click the tab of one of the problem sheets and go to the Format
dropdown. Under Column select Default Width and type a value. (In
XL2003 and earlier, Format>Column>Standard Width)

In the Styles dialog, set the default font for the Normal style to
Arial 8pt.

According to Excel help, the numeric value you use for col width should
be the avg num characters of the default font specified for the Normal
style. Please report back how this works!

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
Classic VB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion
 
G

GS

Am I the one who missed something here?

I think I need to adjust my aerial to acquire a better signal. ;-)
Click to expand...

Uh.., ok I'll spell it out for you...

I was being sarcastic since the OP claims that half the sheets use
Arial font & the other half used Arial! (as opposed to something
other than Arial; confusing to say the least!)

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
Classic VB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion
 
D

Donna in Idaho

I meant Arial and Verdana! Guess my brain is getting scrambled messing
with this mess!

donarden
 
A

Alex Plantema

Donna in Idaho schreef in
Another problem was - half the spreadsheets used Arial for the font &
half used Arial - just to confuse the issue even more.

Had we known all the problems we were going to run into, it probably
would have been easier to start over fresh!
Click to expand...

You can select more than one sheet and change fonts column widths simultanuously.
 
C

CellShocked

Donna in Idaho schreef in

You can select more than one sheet and change fonts column widths simultanuously.
Click to expand...


you can select more than one worksheet within the same WORKBOOK. If
you have multiple workbooks open, only the one under current
mouse/user/desktop focus will resize.

So multiple highlighted WORKSHEETS within the currently active
WORKBBOOK will all resize together. Other open workbooks on the desktop
will not, even if those columns are highlighted.

The currently active window is what gets acted on. Cell value data and
such can be drawn from other workbooks, but an actual edit session where
layouts and styles are being altered is per-active-window only.
 

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