In contrast, the Paste and Copy icons are a new type of element comprised of a button and a drop-down. You click the icon and Excel cuts the selection onto the Clipboard. In Figure 3.1, the Cut icon is a pure command. The ribbon fits more commands in a smaller space by using new types of controls that were not available with the Excel 2003 menu bar and toolbars. The tooltip also offers a little-known trick: You can double-click the Format Painter to copy the formatting to many places. When you hover, the tooltip offers paragraphs explaining what the tool does. In Excel 2013, the same icon has the words “Format Painter” next to it. Many people have seen the little whisk broom icon in previous versions of Excel but never knew what it did. The mantra of the ribbon is to use pictures and words. Detail of the Clipboard group of the Home tab of the ribbon.
The group shown in Figure 3.1 is the Clipboard group on the Home tab.įigure 3.1. Other contextual ribbon tabs appear when you select a certain type of object, such as a chart, image, or pivot table.Įach tab is broken into rectangular groups of related commands.
For example, PowerPivot, Inquire, and Easy-XL are tabs that you see if you install certain add-ins. Other permanent tabs appear if you install certain add-ins. The ribbon is composed of seven permanent tabs labeled Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, and View. These were discussed in Chapter 1, “Staying Connected Using Excel 2013.” This chapter reviews all of the remaining Excel interface elements.
Excel 2013 brings the Start menu, plus new Open and Save As panes. Excel 2010 brought the expanded File menu. Excel 2007 introduced the ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar to replace the familiar command bar at the top of Excel. You can get out of Print Preview by pressing Esc or clicking on Close.The Excel interface has had a major makeover over the last decade. If you decide you want an actual printed copy while you are using Print Preview, all you need to do is click on the Print button. When you then click on any portion of the display, it is magnified so you can read the information on the screen easier. If you click on the Zoom button in legacy versions, Excel changes the mouse pointer to a magnifying glass. You can overcome some of the "tiny type" syndrome by using the Zoom tool while in Print Preview. If you are using a smaller monitor at a lower resolution, however, you will probably only be able to make out the largest type in your workbook.
If you have a larger monitor and you are using Windows in a high-resolution display mode, you might be able to read most of the type on the Print Preview display. The legibility and value of the Print Preview feature depends, in large part, on the quality and size of the monitor you are using with your computer. When you finish, press Esc or click your mouse on the Close button to return to normal editing. You can also use the Next and Previous buttons to move through the pages in your worksheet.
If printing your workbook would result in more than a single page of output, you can page through the pages by pressing PgUp or PgDn or using the scroll bars. The standard user interface is replaced with a minimal collection of tools, allowing the most space possible to display an exact representation of how your workbook will appear when printed. When you choose the Print Preview option that is available on the File menu, your screen changes significantly. The Print Preview feature in Excel allows you to see how your worksheet will appear when it is printed.