How to show duplicates in Excel
A very common request in any of my Excel courses is “how to show duplicates in Excel”. When we are working with any data set you may need to be alerted when duplicate records exist. This process is surprisingly simple to set up and have Excel alert you with a change in formatting when a […]
What is a paragraph mark in Word?
If you have ever opened a Word document and suddenly seen strange symbols like dots, arrows, or a backward “P” (¶), you are not alone. Today I want to introduce you to a range of symbols, and in particular, the paragraph marks found in Word documents. Now, these unusual symbols are officially called non-printing characters. […]
How to use Conditional Formatting in Outlook
Many users have discovered the amazing conditional formatting functions available in Excel, but not many know that you can also use conditional formatting in Outlook. This feature allows you to specify rules based on your incoming email messages so that you can change the formatting as they arrive. Want to make all emails from “Bob” […]
Use conditional formatting to identify dates within a specific range
My conditional formatting to identify dates earlier than today post has proven to be extremely popular. This post talks about how to use conditional formatting for dates which occur in the past. I have had lots of questions and comments based on this post. A popular question is how to use conditional formatting to highlight […]
How to change spacing between bullet points in Word
If you’ve ever tried to change spacing between bullet points in Word and wondered why it doesn’t work as you expected it to, you’re not alone. Microsoft Word makes it easy to add spacing between paragraphs, but when you apply that same setting (Spacing: Before and After) to a bullet or numbered list, it doesn’t […]
Excel Conditional Formatting Based on Dates (Highlight Older Than Today)
During a Microsoft Excel training session a few week’s ago, I had a great question about using conditional formatting based on dates, in particular to highlight dates earlier than the current one, in other words, how can we highlight dates that occur in the past? This was a great question and so I thought I would publish a […]
How to control hyphenation in Word
A common question I hear is “why are my words breaking across separate lines with a dash connecting them?” It’s a common question on discussion boards online and thankfully it’s a very simple fix. Unfortunately, this issue occurs and is asked frequently due to confusion in terminology. Users may not realise what is happening within […]
How to copy formatting using Format Painter
Each of the Microsoft programs includes some basic clipboard options which incorporate the Cut, Copy and Paste functions. Generally users are pretty familiar with these tools. What many users have not utilised is the fourth function in the group called Format Painter. Format Painter is a quick and easy way to copy the formatting from […]
How to customise numbered list alignment in Word
I recently saw an issue arise on a discussion forum where a user asked a question related to the alignment of a numbered list. The solution was a simple one but as the author commented, how would anyone not familiar with the “lingo” know how to find the solution without help? Needless to say, this […]
How to use Styles in Word
A common issue when working with long documents is how to maintain consistent formatting across all pages? Learning how to use Styles in Word is a fundamental skill that all users should have yet many users don’t understand. Working with a document is not just about adding text, it is also about making that text […]
How to use conditional formatting in Excel
Conditional formatting in Excel is one of my favourite features. I am a very visual person and would much rather look at colour charts or visual representations of data to give me a sense of what I’m looking at. In this post you’ll learn how to apply basic conditional formatting rules, how to customise them, […]
How to change phone number format in Excel
If you have ever typed a phone number into Excel only to see the leading zero disappear, you are not alone. Today I want to show you how to change phone number format in Excel. Being an Australian, our phone numbers all start with a zero so we encounter this issue frequently. Excel automatically treats […]