Column widths wider than Windows version?

[sure_mac]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I'm working on a new Macbook Pro with Excel 2008. All of the Excel workbooks I open have columns that appear to be too wide (created using Windows Excel 2002).

Column width is 12.5 in Windows and 12.4 on Mac but visually, the Mac columns are much wider resulting in too much white space between columns of numbers. And when printing a worksheet it's now too wide. If I force it to fit on the page everything shrinks making it look short and not properly proportioned.

The font is all Times New Roman, mostly 8 point. My coworkers are still on Windows so I can't just fix each one manually--which would be a chore.

Any thoughts on why columns are wider on the Mac?

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I'm working on a new Macbook Pro with Excel 2008. All of the Excel workbooks
I open have columns that appear to be too wide (created using Windows Excel
2002).

Column width is 12.5 in Windows and 12.4 on Mac but visually, the Mac columns
are much wider resulting in too much white space between columns of numbers.
And when printing a worksheet it's now too wide. If I force it to fit on the
page everything shrinks making it look short and not properly proportioned.

The font is all Times New Roman, mostly 8 point. My coworkers are still on
Windows so I can't just fix each one manually--which would be a chore.

Any thoughts on why columns are wider on the Mac?

Column widths are set in "average default digit character" (e.g.,
"0","9") widths, which are determined by the default font settings
(Preferences/General). The cell formatting font doesn't affect column
width.

Make sure the versions are using the same default font (not just fonts
with the same name) and size.

Also, note that if the specified fonts aren't available on the other
platform, XL will make a "best guess" substitution in displaying the
cell formats (while still showing the specified font in the formatting
menus/palette).

 

[sure_mac]

I've been using computers for about 30 years now, and I'm still stumped. On the Mac, Times New Roman (8 pt) is set as the default font in Excel same as the normal style in the original Windows Excel.

What do you mean by "Make sure the versions are using the same default font (not just fonts with the same name) and size."

Thanks again.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I've been using computers for about 30 years now, and I'm still stumped. On
the Mac, Times New Roman (8 pt) is set as the default font in Excel same as
the normal style in the original Windows Excel.

What do you mean by "Make sure the versions are using the same default font
(not just fonts with the same name) and size."

It is possible to have fonts from different sources/manufacturers that
have the same name but different metrics.

Do you really have TNR 8-pt set as the default font in MacXL (i.e., set
in Preferences/General)?

You'd be literally the first Mac-XL user that I've encountered in 25
years of using MacXL that does. For most people, TNR8 renders *much* too
small on a Mac screen. I've met a fair number of folks who use it for
WinXL: because of screen pitch differences, it renders about 25% bigger
in Windows.

I'm confused by your use of "normal style". XL doesn't have a "normal"
style by default, though it does have a General style. However, that's
different than the default font settings in Preferences/General (or
Tools/Options/General in WinXL).

 

[sure_mac]

I guess I'm the exception then. Yes, I confirmed it again. One of the first things I did on my Mac in Excel was to change that preference to TNR8 so as to minimize any problems within the office. And, I confirmed on the Windows side (tools/options/general is also set to TNR8).

So I think we've narrowed it down all we can. Why does it "render" smaller on the Mac, as you say? Consequently, why doesn't the column width adjust itself accordingly if the font is rendering smaller?

I'm stumped.