15 Top Tips And Shortcuts For Excel 2013

Are you looking for ways to more efficiently use Excel 2013? Discover the 15 top tips and shortcuts that will help you get the job done quickly and accurately. You’ll be surprised how these simple tips can save you time and hassle.

Top Tips for Excel 2013

Maximize your Excel 2013 skills! Learn the best of the best with Formatting Tips, Keyboard Shortcuts, Helpful Functions, Manipulating Data, and Chart & Graph Making. These tips are guaranteed to make you an Excel expert in no time! Be more efficient and productive when working with data in Excel 2013.

Image credits: andersfogh.info by Yuval Arnold

Formatting Tips

In Excel 2013-15, there are various formatting techniques that can be utilized to enhance the presentation of data. These methods include:

• Altering font sizes and styles
• Highlighting specific cells or ranges using color schemes
• Inserting borders and lines
• And much more

By applying these formatting tips, one can make their spreadsheets much more visually appealing to users, organized, and easier to comprehend.

It is also essential to use conditional formatting as it allows the user to set rules to manipulate cells based on specific conditions or values present in the sheet. Creating a PivotTable enables analyzing huge amounts of data by displaying it in a summarized format. Adding filters or sorting data sections assists users in quickly scanning for desired information within large datasets.

One can also enable or disable gridlines to declutter the appearance of the spreadsheet further. Altering column width and row height ensures better readability of content while ensuring that text does not overlap cell borders. Lastly, utilizing Themes in Excel 2013-15 provides pre-set combination options for fonts colors that match your project needs.

It is believed that Excel has been around since 1987; however, from its origins as a simple accounting application called Multiplan/2, it has evolved into an all-encompassing software for calculation and data management purposes worldwide.

Type your way to success with these Excel keyboard shortcuts – no need to wear out your mouse clicker.

Keyboard Shortcuts

When working with Excel 2013, it can be time-consuming to continuously search for specific functions. Instead, utilize the power of Semantic NLP variations to find helpful keyboard shortcuts.

• Use the “Ctrl + C” command to copy information from one cell or range and paste it into another location using “Ctrl + V.”
• Undo a mistake quickly by pressing “Ctrl + Z.” Redo that action with “Ctrl + Y.”
• To insert the current date in a cell, press “Ctrl + ;”. To enter the current time, use the shortcut “Shift + Ctrl + ;”.
• Create a chart in seconds with just two quick keystrokes: “F11”.

By utilizing these keyboard shortcuts within Excel 2013, you can save yourself and your team valuable time and effort while creating spreadsheets.

For best practice ensure that the version of Excel used is compatible with your operating system for seamless performance.

Pro Tip: Familiarize yourself thoroughly with your most commonly used commands to feel confident when completing projects.

Excel may not be able to solve all your problems, but with these useful functions, at least you’ll have some pretty impressive spreadsheets to look at while crying at your desk.

Useful Functions

For those seeking new and efficient ways to use Excel 2013-15, the following features can enhance your experience:

• Quick Analysis for recommended charts and data analyses.
• Conditional formatting for customized formatting based on specific data inputs or conditions.
• Data validation to limit user input to specified data types or values.
• PivotTables for analyzing large datasets with customizable tables and filtering options.
• VLOOKUP function for quickly retrieving specific data from a table based on a designated column of search criteria.
• IFERROR function to display custom messages or actions when errors occur in formulas.

To further optimize your use of Excel 2013-15, take advantage of its ability to handle large datasets and integrate with other Microsoft Office applications.

Create impressive reports or presentations using accessible functions such as Text-to-Columns, Subtotal, Freeze Panes, and SmartArt Graphics. Use Power Query feature to consolidate different sources of data into a single processing environment, while maintaining the ability to refresh it instantaneously.

Don’t miss out on boosting your Excel productivity with these helpful functions. Incorporate them into your workflow and be one step closer towards mastering this essential tool.

Manipulating data in Excel is like a game of Tetris, minus the fun shapes and without the instant gratification of clearing a line.

Working with Data

Dealing with Information in Excel

To efficiently work with information in Excel, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of data manipulation tools and techniques. Functions like sorting, filtering, and subtotalling enable users to transform raw data into more meaningful forms that make analysis a lot easier.

A sample table for ‘Dealing with Information in Excel’:

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Information	Manipulation	Raw Data
Sorting	Filtering	Subtotalling
Analysis	Transformation	Meaningful Forms

Furthermore, it is vital to know how to use PivotTables to summarise large volumes of data quickly and effectively. Also, utilising conditional formatting techniques allows you to illustrate patterns and trends present in your dataset visually.

Excel has become an essential software tool for users who want to manage and manipulate large amounts of information accurately. The spreadsheet application has seen constant upgrades since its inception over three decades ago, making it one of the most popular data management tools worldwide.

Get ready to turn your data into art because with Excel’s chart and graph options, you can now paint your numbers a thousand words!

Creating Charts and Graphs

Professionally presenting data through visual aids is an essential aspect of analytical reporting. The utilization of numerical and graphical figures to depict information can improve the overall understanding of complex sets of data, aiding in the decision-making process.

To demonstrate the importance of visual representation, let’s create an intuitive depiction without using any specific coding frameworks.

1. Using a row-column structure, we will create a tabular representation of our dataset to be presented.

Next, it’s important to use accurate and precise mathematical figures that can help support efficient interpretation by the audience. By utilizing graphs or charts like bar graphs, line charts, histograms etc., we can illustrate complex numerical trends in a simplified manner.

It’s imperative to recognize the importance of visual aids – for example, did you know that research estimates show that approximately 80% of human learning is visually based? Effective visual illustrations have proven to increase user engagement as well as reduce misunderstandings caused by textual twists and multiple interpretations.

For instance, consider an extensive analytics budget forecast report that needs prompt presentation in front of C-level executives. If provided merely through spreadsheets without cogent display graphics such as pie charts or line graphs depicting progressions over time – would certainly cause confusion & hinder grasp on crucial business decisions.

This explains how imperative creating charts and graphs are in presenting your data effectively.

Excel 2013: The only place where being lazy actually saves time.

Saving Time in Excel 2013

Excel 2013 can help you save time! Use templates, customize the ribbon and automate tasks with macros. Plus, you can use quick analysis. Check out the “15 Top Tips and Shortcuts for Excel 2013” for sub-sections on saving time. Solutions to optimize workflow and enhance productivity are there!

Image credits: andersfogh.info by James Jones

Using Templates

Templates are pre-designed and formatted worksheets that allow you to save your time in Excel 2013. Designed for specific purposes, using templates ensures a great start to any project or task. It automates and simplifies data input, reducing errors while creating outputs that align well with design standards.

Templates are accessible through backstage view, allowing easy selection of the right template for the job. They cover various categories such as budgets, planners, calendars, invoices among others. Once a template is selected and downloaded, it can be customized based on personal requirements.

Using templates will give you clear structure to work with and they are also easily adaptable to different situations like sharing the data with someone else or using it as a recurring report.

Templates were first introduced in Office 2000 and have since become an integral part of office suite software. Businesses and other organizations have realized how much energy they can save by working on templates as their standard modus operandi when it comes to projects and tasks in Excel 2013-15.

Unleash your inner control freak and customize Excel’s Ribbon to suit your every whim.

Customizing the Ribbon

Customizing Excel 2013 Ribbon Panel

Customizing the ribbon is a valuable feature of Excel 2013 as it allows users to personalize their work experience, and remove or add functionalities that are most useful. Here’s how to customize the ribbon:

1. Right-click anywhere on the ribbon panel.
2. Choose Customize the Ribbon from the dropdown menu.
3. A new window will appear giving options to add or remove commands, tabs, and groups.

These three simple steps can save time and improve efficiency in working with spreadsheets.

To enhance productivity, users can create custom tabs that group certain frequently used commands together or merge default tabs to create an all-in-one workspace.

Using this feature can significantly change the way users work with Excel, which includes reducing time spent on navigation through menus and shortcuts and gaining easy access to important features.

For better customization, it’s essential for users also to understand keyboard shortcuts since some command buttons cannot get added in the ribbon panel.

Here are suggestions for efficient use of customized ribbons:

• Add frequently used commands.
• Group similar commands that have no representation in original categories.
• Experiment with different color schemes for visual aid.
• Only add essential items like charts or graphs considered critical functions.

Customizing your Ribbons will require foundational knowledge for maximum usability besides increased efficiency suitable for professional use cases that require it. Say goodbye to manual labor and hello to macro magic – automate your Excel tasks like a boss.

Automating Tasks with Macros

Automation Using Excel Macros is one way to save time and energy in completing repetitive tasks. Here are six simple steps for using Excel macros effectively:

1. Open the Developer tab by clicking on File -> Options -> Customize Ribbon and selecting Developer.
2. Record a macro by selecting the Macro button in the Developer tab, naming it, and assigning it to a shortcut key.
3. Edit your macro using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code to customize its functionality further, such as adding loops or conditions.
4. Save your macro either within the workbook or in Personal Macro Workbook so that you can reuse it in other workbooks.
5. Run your macro using the assigned shortcut key or via Developer -> Macros.
6. Debug any issues with your macro using VBA editor’s debugging tools such as breakpoints and watches.

Additionally, using specific commands such as Selection.SpecialCells(XlCellType.xlCellTypeBlanks).Delete can perform various operations like deleting blank cells. By creating macros that cater to our needs and automating repetitive tasks in Excel, we can also enhance data accuracy and reduce human errors.

Here are some suggestions to help automate more efficiently:

1. Spend some time learning VBA programming language, which will enable you to write more complex programs with macros. It is an investment of time but pays off handsomely in terms of efficiency gains.
2. Simplify frequently used formulas into macros: If it takes more than two clicks to complete a task repeatedly, consider creating a macro-in particular, if you regularly use complex formulae for finance or mathematics calculations.
3. Become familiar with relative referencing: Recording macros will not be useful if they aren’t designed correctly. One of the most important things about macro creation is getting them right from the outset; this means keeping an eye on what should be relative and what should be absolute values.

Quick Analysis in Excel: the superhero that saves you time and sanity, minus the cape and tights.

Using Quick Analysis

Quick Data Analysis Features in Excel 2013

Excel 2013 provides various features to perform quick data analysis. These tools help users save time and effort while performing complex tasks.

5-Step Guide for Quick Data Analysis:

1. Select the cell range that needs to be analyzed.
2. Click on the Quick Analysis button, which appears at the bottom right corner of the selected cell range.
3. In the popup window, choose a suitable analysis option from different categories like Totals, Charts, Tables, and Formatting.
4. Hover over each potential solution to preview how it will transform your data.
5. Choose a preferred option from the selection of live previews by clicking.

Unique Details:

Quick Data Analysis also allows for easy conversion of raw data in pivot tables or charts throughout entire workbooks without rewriting existing formulas or functions.

Suggestions for optimal use:

1. Organize your spreadsheet before utilizing Quick Analysis features for improved efficiency and accuracy.
2. Save time by using keyboard shortcuts as you become more familiar with Excel 2013’s features.

By following these tips and utilizing Excel 2013’s Quick Analysis features, you can drastically improve your productivity while working on large data sets.
Collaborating with coworkers in Excel 2013 is like playing a game of Excel telephone – one wrong move and the message gets distorted.

Collaboration in Excel 2013

Discover the benefits of collaborating effectively and efficiently in Excel 2013 with your team. Learn how to use Sharing Workbooks, Protecting Data, Track Changes, and Co-Authoring Documents. Make collaboration smoother and easier. Achieve your goals!

Image credits: andersfogh.info by David Arnold

Sharing Workbooks

Collaborating in Excel 2013-15 has been made easier with the option to share and collaborate on workbooks. This feature allows multiple users to make changes to a single workbook simultaneously, eliminating the need for exchanging versions of files back and forth.

The process to share a workbook is simple. First, open the desired workbook and navigate to the ‘Review’ tab. Click on ‘Share Workbook’ and select the checkbox ‘Allow changes by more than one user at the same time.’ Next, save the shared workbook on OneDrive or SharePoint.

To add collaborators, type their email addresses under ‘Invite People’, set permissions as needed, and click ‘Share.’

One unique detail is that collaboration can also be done offline. Changes made while working offline will sync when an internet connection becomes available.

Don’t miss out on this game-changing feature! Collaborate with ease by sharing workbooks in Excel 2013-15.

Keep your data safe from prying eyes, or risk strangers knowing how much you really spend on office snacks.

Protecting Data

To safeguard essential information and preserve privacy, it is fundamental to employ appropriate measures. Excel 2013-15 offers numerous options to protect the data stored in a file. One of the most secure ways is by using password protection through various features.

The “Data Protection” feature in Excel 2013-15 allows users to access or edit only selected areas of the spreadsheet and prevent undesired interference with other cells. This allows for restricted usage even while sharing the workbook. Users can also empower worksheet protection settings, such as preventing modification, deletion, and hiding/unhiding protected sheets from unauthorized persons.

It’s recommended to add a personalized watermark as an added layer of security. Users can also disable data access in external MS Office applications such as Word or PowerPoint. The “Mark as Final” feature marks an Excel file as read-only once the final version has been shared with all stakeholders.

Pro Tip: Always keep backups of critical files/store them online in case local storage fails or gets compromised otherwise.

Track Changes in Excel: Making it easier for your colleagues to see just how much you’ve messed up.

Using Track Changes

Collaborating in Excel demands effective communication and precision. One way to achieve this is by Utilizing the Track Changes feature that enables users to keep records of modifications made during teamwork.

Follow this 5-step guide on leveraging Track Changes for seamless collaboration:

1. Open Excel, go to the Review tab, and select Track Changes
2. Select the cells you wish to track.
3. From the drop-down menu, choose “Highlight Changes.” Select other clarifications and modify parameters as desired.
4. To monitor changes made by others, select “List changes on a new sheet” from the “Track changes while editing” checkbox.
5. Finally, press OK to save all your modifications.

Additionally, customizing colors based on altercations allows greater visibility among collaborators. This supports effective communication and easy resolution of conflicts.

Did you know? Some businesses use historical data derived from annotations to analyze their team’s operating efficiency. Talk about a win-win situation!

A friend once indicated how his team spent needless hours trying to sort work done by different freelancers over multiple projects before they eventually began using Track Changes.

Collaborating with others in Excel just got easier because now you can blame any mistakes on your co-authors.

Co-Authoring Documents

Collaborating on Documents by Multiple Authors

Collaboration is the key to success in sharing ideas, thoughts and information with a wider audience. Here are some quick tips on how to efficiently collaborate with other authors in Excel 2013.

• Co-authoring helps multiple users work on the same document simultaneously
• Real-time updates indicate changes made by other authors
• Document sharing settings can be controlled as per the user’s requirements

Apart from these general practices, here are additional points for seamless co-authoring of documents in Excel 2013:

It is also possible to track changes made by each individual author and make comments about specific sections or items. This feature comes in handy when reviewing heavy data sets with multiple collaborators.

A friend of mine was working on sales analysis with her team and used co-authoring to its full potential. She had a junior team working under her, who were responsible for data collection and pre-processing before converting it into insights. Co-authoring allowed them all to work towards a common goal and quickly see real-time updates from each other. It saved them significant time by eliminating version control issues and going back-n-forth over e-mails for files.

Don’t panic when Excel crashes, just blame it on the economy and hit the undo button.

Troubleshooting in Excel 2013

Troubleshoot Excel 2013 with 15 top tips and shortcuts! Fix common errors, recover lost data, optimize performance, and get help and support. Solutions to help you overcome issues you may face. Sub-sections include:

1. Common errors and fixes
2. Recovering lost data
3. Optimizing performance
4. Getting help and support

Image credits: andersfogh.info by Adam Woodhock

Common Errors and Fixes

When utilizing Excel 2013-15, users can come across a wide range of problems. By understanding Common Errors and Solutions in Excel 2013-15, however, individuals can swiftly overcome issues that typically hamstring the software.

• One prevalent problem that affects Excel 2013-15 is “Excel is not responding”. The cause of this error could range from oversized files to crashed CPU or outdated add-ins. To correct this error, users can attempt restarting Excel or their computer. Alternatively, they can disable add-ins which have been causing the issue.
• A second typical issue experienced with Excel 2013-15 is printing errors. This could result from incorrect printer settings and outdated printer drivers among other reasons. To fix these challenges, individuals should double-check their printer settings before they select the print buttons. In addition to this,cleaning temporary files on your printer software also help solving this type of error.
• Another difficulty that people face with Excel 2013-15 is ‘Excel found an unreadable content in file \’.xlsx”. This may happen because of corrupted files – either due to sudden power failure or saving problems during work with broken network connections-. To overcome this obstacle,, one must look for solutions such as using an auto-recovery option in Excel to return the file back to its last autosaved version.
• The fourth common mistake users get while working with data tables in MS Excel 13/15 is deducing incorrect calculations especially average or sum]. This might happen if empty cells are left blank while summing up range values; it can lead to inclusion of duplicate values in stats leading to wrong figures.To make changes click on the cell, then modify formula Excel will adjust accordingly after pressing enter.

Some less frequent but equally important errors might occur unpredictably when programmatically attempting workarounds at junctions of similar algorithms/dataset clusters leading to software crashes and data loss. Proper handling of exceptions in Excel 2013-15 programming can go a long way in avoiding crashes.

True history tells us that Common Errors and Fixes section not only provides solutions for common issues but also informs about the irregular ones which require discrete measures to implement because they could have disastrous results.

Just because Excel lost your data doesn’t mean you need to lose your sanity too – here’s how to recover it like a boss.

Recovering Lost Data

One of the most concerning issues that Excel users face is when their data gets lost due to unforeseeable circumstances. It’s vital to know how to retrieve the lost data without much hassle, and here are some top tips for recovering valuable information.

1. One can navigate to the “File” tab and click on “Open Recent” where recent documents will be displayed, including unsaved ones.
2. It is essential to check the Recycle Bin as any accidental deletion or system crash may have sent your file there.

Moreover, one can try using Excel’s built-in recovery feature by clicking on “File” then “Info”, selecting “Manage Workbook,” and selecting “Recover Unsaved Workbooks.” One can also search for temporary files saved by Excel in their computer’s default folder settings.

Lastly, ensure Automatic Save feature is enabled in case of sudden power loss or crash and enable AutoRecover so you can always recover a version of your work up to the last save.

Speed up your Excel game and impress your boss by optimizing performance with these top tips and shortcuts – because slow and steady doesn’t always win the race.

Optimizing Performance

To increase productivity in Excel 2013-15, there are certain techniques that you can use. Excel is a powerful tool, but sometimes it can be slow or unresponsive. By optimizing its performance, one can make sure that Excel functions effectively and efficiently.

Some tips and tricks to optimize performance include:

• Disabling unnecessary add-ins and animations
• Clearing the clipboard cache
• Avoiding large data sets and complex formulas
• Using efficient code
• Closing unused workbooks

To further improve performance, users are advised to minimize formula usage. This means that if the function is not absolutely necessary for your worksheet or workbook, you should avoid it altogether. Another important strategy is to reduce file size by removing any extraneous data. Users can also utilize the autosave feature in Excel to avoid losing work due to computer crashes or other unforeseen events.

It’s worth mentioning that optimizing performance isn’t a one-time fix; you need to keep checking your workbook for issues regularly. If new problems arise as you work with large datasets or run complex macros, it might be time for an upgrade or a different solution.

In fact, early versions of Excel have not been optimized over time but merely changed incrementally and this has led to fragmentation within the software leading to multiple variations of successful performance solutions across each version of the program depending on Hardware specifications and User behavior within individual systems.

Getting Help and Support.

When you encounter difficulties operating Excel on your computer, finding the right sources of help and support can be a challenge. Fortunately, Excel 2013-15 offers a range of features to assist you in addressing any issue that arises.

One such feature is the Office Assistant, which appears as a dialogue box when you click on the Help button located on your toolbar. This feature provides access to detailed step-by-step guides for common processes, including troubleshooting solutions.

Additionally, Excel’s online community support forums offer an outlet for users to seek advice and share tips with one another.

To make use of these resources most effectively, ensure that you ask clear and specific questions when troubleshooting issues. By providing detailed information about what isn’t working correctly, users are more likely to receive meaningful assistance from the community or AI chatbot features available within Excel.

Seeking help with Excel can come in many forms–whether it’s through reaching out to one-on-one customer support or utilizing online help articles and study groups. In fact, a former coworker told me once that after hours of struggling with a particularly complex task in Excel, he found his solution through an obscure forum post found via Google search. With some persistence and resourcefulness, even challenging issues can find simple resolutions.

FAQs about 15 Top Tips And Shortcuts For Excel 2013

Q: What are the 15 Top Tips and Shortcuts for Excel 2013?

A: The 15 Top Tips and Shortcuts for Excel 2013 include using keyboard shortcuts, utilizing the Quick Access Toolbar, using Freeze Panes, using Conditional Formatting, using Pivot Tables, and more.

Q: How can I use keyboard shortcuts to navigate Excel 2013?

A: Keyboard shortcuts can help you navigate Excel 2013 more efficiently. Some useful shortcuts include Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+V to paste, Ctrl+Z to undo, and Ctrl+F to find.

Q: How can I utilize the Quick Access Toolbar in Excel 2013?

A: The Quick Access Toolbar allows you to customize your toolbar by adding commonly used commands. To customize it, click on the drop-down arrow on the right-hand side of the toolbar and select “More Commands.”

Q: How can I use Freeze Panes in Excel 2013?

A: Freeze Panes allows you to keep the headers of a column or row visible as you scroll through your spreadsheet. To use it, select the cell below the row or to the right of the column you want to freeze, and click on “Freeze Panes” under the “View” tab.

Q: How can I use Conditional Formatting in Excel 2013?

A: Conditional Formatting can help you highlight important data in your spreadsheet based on specific criteria. To use it, select the range of cells you want to format and click on “Conditional Formatting” under the “Home” tab.

Q: How can I use Pivot Tables in Excel 2013?

A: Pivot Tables allow you to summarize and analyze large amounts of data in a customizable table. To use it, select the range of data you want to analyze and click on “Pivot Table” under the “Insert” tab.