PivotTable Blues: Why Does My Formatting Always Disappear?
You've spent ages crafting the perfect pivot table. You've got those numbers singing, charts looking sharp, and colors popping like a bag of Skittles. But then, disaster strikes! You hit refresh, and poof your formatting vanishes faster than a magician's rabbit.
Fear not, fellow data warriors! There's a way to tame this formatting beast and keep your pivot table looking snazzy. Let's conquer this together, shall we?
The Culprit: The Refresh Monster
The culprit behind this formatting fiasco is the refresh function. It's great for keeping your data up-to-date, but it also has a bit of a bulldozer mentality when it comes to formatting. Every time you refresh, it wants to flatten your beautiful work back into its default, bland state. Yawn
Taming the Beast: The "Preserve Formatting" Option
Here's where our hero emerges: the "Preserve cell formatting on update" option. This little gem hides in the pivot table settings, waiting to be your champion.
Here's how to find it:
- Click anywhere in your pivot table to activate the PivotTable Analyze tab.
- Head over to the Options section and click the "Options" button.
- A box full of pivot table settings will appear. Don't be intimidated! Just navigate to the Layout & Format tab.
- And there it is, in all its glory: the "Preserve cell formatting on update" checkbox. Tick it!
This is your magic shield against the refresh monster. With this box checked, your formatting will stay put, even after you refresh your data. You can finally breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate your victory with a virtual high five! ✋
Bonus Tip: Formatting Like a Pro
Now that you've got the formatting beast under control, unleash your inner designer! Here are some ideas to pimp your pivot table:
- Conditional formatting: Use colors to highlight important values, good vs. bad performance, or anything else that helps tell your data story.
- Number formats: Make sure your numbers are displayed clearly, with commas for thousands, percentages, or whatever suits your data best.
- Borders and shading: Add subtle borders or background shading to separate sections and improve readability.
Remember, a well-formatted pivot table is not just informative, it's a thing of beauty!
FAQ: PivotTable Formatting Frequently Asked Questions
How to format numbers in a pivot table?
Right-click on the cell containing the number, select "Number format," and choose the desired format (currency, percentage, etc.).
How to change the background color of a pivot table cell?
Right-click on the cell, select "Format cells," and choose the desired background color from the "Fill" tab.
How to add a border to a pivot table section?
Select the cells you want to border, click the "Borders" button on the Home tab, and choose the desired border style.
How to make specific values stand out with conditional formatting?
Select the cells you want to format conditionally, go to the "Conditional Formatting" menu on the Home tab, and choose your desired rule (e.g., highlight values greater than a certain number).
How to save my pivot table formatting for future use?
Create a PivotTable Style by right-clicking anywhere in the table and selecting "PivotTable Style" > "New PivotTable Style." Give it a name and you can easily apply it to other pivot tables in the future.
