Excel Number Format Shortcuts: Currency, Percent, Time and Borders
Format Cells has every number format you could want, which is exactly why finding the right one takes a while. The formats you use every day have shortcuts, and they're easier to remember once you notice which key each symbol sits on. TL;DR: Ctrl+Shift+$ currency, Ctrl+Shift+% percent, Ctrl+Shift+@ time, Ctrl+B / I / U, Ctrl+Shift+& outside border. The shortcuts Ctrl+Shift+$ applies currency…
Navigating Excel's Format Cells can be a lengthy process, but there are shortcuts that make it easier. These shortcuts are easier to remember once you know which key each symbol sits on. The Ctrl+Shift+$ shortcut applies the currency format. For instance, the number 1234567 becomes ₩1,234,567 in the test sheet, depending on the regional settings. The $ symbol is on the 4 key.
Similarly, the Ctrl+Shift+% shortcut applies percentage format. So, 0.12 changes to 12%. The % symbol is on the 5 key. The Ctrl+Shift+@ shortcut applies a time format. For example, 0.5625 is displayed as 13:30:00. The @ symbol is on the 2 key.
To make text bold, you can use Ctrl+B. Clicking the header row and pressing Ctrl+B will apply bold formatting. To remove bold, press Ctrl+B again. To make text italic, use Ctrl+I. For underlining, Ctrl+U is used. Press Ctrl+U again to remove underline formatting. The & shortcut adds an outside border to selected cells. For a border around the entire table, Ctrl+Shift+& is used. The & symbol is on the 7 key.
Each shortcut was tested and verified in Excel for the web. However, it's important to note that number formats only change how a value is displayed. The actual value remains the same. For instance, a cell with 0.12 retains the value of 0.12 even when shown as 12%. This is also why 0.5625 can display as 13:30. Excel stores times as fractions of a day, with 0.5625 representing 13.5 hours.
Common errors include typing 12 and then formatting it as a percentage, which results in 1200%. To avoid this, type 0.12 or directly type 12%. Also, remember that the currency format only adds a symbol and separators, it does not convert money. The shortcuts follow the symbols above the 4, 5, 2, and 7 keys on a US-style keyboard layout.
If you're using a different layout, you'll need to find the key that produces the desired symbol. In code, when creating workbooks with openpyxl, these shortcuts translate to format strings. Percent is cell.number_format = 0%, and time format looks like hh:mm:ss.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
