background
Welcome to Wall Street Prep! Use code at checkout for 15% off.
Wharton & Wall Street Prep Certificates
Now Enrolling for February 2025 for September 2024
:
Private EquityReal Estate InvestingFP&A
Wharton & Wall Street Prep Certificates:
Enrollment for February 2025 is Open
Wall Street Prep

Join 750k+ learners today. Learn online from Wall Street Prep — the training firm that prepares new hires at the world's top financial institutions.

Enroll Today

Adjust Column Width

  Table of Contents

How to Adjust the Column Width in Excel

The column width in Excel can be adjusted to sufficiently fit the content within the spreadsheet.

  • Narrow Column Width → If the width of a column is too narrow, the value of a cell can become hidden, where the number values appear as “###”.
  • Wide Column Width → On the other hand, if the column width is too wide, there could be far too much white space in the spreadsheet, resulting in a distracting appearance. The column width must also be considered if the Excel file will be printed once complete.

By default, the Excel column is set at “8.43 units” with lower and upper parameters of 0 (i.e. hidden) and 255, respectively. The 8.43 units refer to 8.43 characters, which corresponds to 64 pixels, but the units can be adjusted in the settings tab (e.g. into inches, cm, mm).

In the context of financial modeling, it is a general best practice to maintain consistency in the formatting of the column width, albeit there are occasional exceptions.

For instance, most financials models utilize so-called “elevator drops” (i.e. an “x” in a “thinner” Column A) to make the process of navigating between different sections easier.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with one column being of a different width than the rest, a model can appear less professional if each and every column is noticeably set to be a different width.

In order to adjust the column width—either to expand or decrease the width—follow the steps below:

  • Step 1 → Select the Column(s) to Adjust
  • Step 2 → Open the “Home” Tab
  • Step 3 → Click on “Format” to Open the Menu
  • Step 4 → Press “Column Width” in the Cell Size Group
  • Step 5 → Enter the Specific Width and Click the “OK” Button

Column Width Selection in Cell Size

If you need to adjust all the columns in the worksheet, simply press “Ctrl” and “A” simultaneously to select all (or click the arrow in the top left corner next to the formula bar), before repeating the same process.

Alternatively, a different method is to select the column to adjust with your cursor, right click to open the menu, and pick the “Adjust Column Width” option.

Adjust Column Width Menu Option

Whichever method is used, the following box should appear for the user to enter a custom column width.

Change Column Width Box

How to Adjust Column Width Using Excel Keyboard Shortcut

Using the keyboard rather than the mouse is more time efficient in practically all cases, aside from certain exceptions.

The keyboard shortcut to quickly open the adjust column width box and enter the desired width is as follows.

Adjust Column Width Shortcut = Alt + H + O + W

Each key must be pressed one-by-one in that specific order, instead of pressing down on all of them simultaneously.

How to Use Excel Autofit Function?

Excel also offers the option to adjust the column width automatically to fit the content within the column.

In the “Format” box from earlier, there is a built-in “Autofit Column Width” option to pick from in the cell size group.

Autofit Column Fit

If you want to bypass the process of finding and clicking that option, a more convenient approach is to double-click the boundary of a column, i.e. the line separating each column.

Upon doing so, Excel automatically adjusts the column width based on the “best fit”.

Like earlier, selecting all cells and repeating the process on any of the chosen columns auto-adjusts the column width of all the actively selected columns.

Autofit Column Width in Excel: Keyboard Shortcut

The preferred option to auto-fit columns, particularly for multiple columns, is to utilize keyboard shortcuts.

The autofit keyboard shortcut is the following:

Autofit Column Width = Alt + H + O + I

As with the shortcut earlier, press each individual key one after the other, and the selected column(s) should be automatically adjusted to display all the included content.

Turbo-charge your time in Excel Used at top investment banks, Wall Street Prep's Excel Crash Course will turn you into an advanced Power User and set you apart from your peers.
Learn More

Learn Excel Online

Become an Excel “Power User.” Used to train new hires at top financial institutions around the world!

Learn More

The Wall Street Prep Quicklesson Series

7 Free Financial Modeling Lessons

Get instant access to video lessons taught by experienced investment bankers. Learn financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel shortcuts.