Creating Excel Templates for Frequently Used Special-Needs Worksheets
Gayle Fink, Associate Editor (gfink@usmd.edu)
This corner of the newsletter is reserved for readers to share practical tips, techniques and shortcuts that can make a difference in our work. Send your tips to Gayle Fink (gfink@usmd.edu)
You never know where you may find inspiration for a technical tip. Shama Akhtar, The Community College of Baltimore County, suggested that I look at the Journal of Accountancy for ideas. This journal is a rich source of tech tips!
It struck me that many of us have special layouts that we update annually for things like Program Review or Fact Books where this tip would be helpful. Templates “store not just formatting (borders, shading, etc.), they also store column and row headings, and even charts and formulas and toolbars for customized features.” (Journal of Accountancy, December 2008) Take it for a test drive!
Creating an Excel Template:
To create a template, open a new Excel file and set up your model worksheet with all the formatting you would use. Then save it (Ctrl+S) to a convenient folder using the Template designation (see screenshot below). If you’re starting from an existing file, you must use the Save As command.
