Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- Format worksheet data professionally.
- Change font style, size and colour.
- Apply cell alignment and borders.
- Modify row height and column width.
- Merge and centre cells.
- Apply number formatting.
Prerequisite Knowledge
- Create a spreadsheet.
- Enter and edit data.
- Apply formulas and functions.
Why Formatting is Important?
Formatting improves the appearance and readability of a worksheet. A well-formatted spreadsheet is easier to understand, analyse and present.
Good formatting makes important information stand out and gives a professional look to your work.
Formatting Features in LibreOffice Calc
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Font Name | Changes the style of text. |
| Font Size | Increases or decreases text size. |
| Bold | Makes text darker. |
| Italic | Slants the text. |
| Underline | Draws a line below the text. |
| Font Colour | Changes text colour. |
| Cell Background | Applies colour to cells. |
Cell Alignment
| Alignment | Description |
|---|---|
| Left | Aligns text to the left. |
| Centre | Places text in the middle. |
| Right | Aligns text to the right. |
| Top | Aligns text to the top. |
| Middle | Vertically centres text. |
| Bottom | Aligns text to the bottom. |
Borders and Cell Background
Borders separate data clearly while background colours highlight important information.
- Apply All Borders to tables.
- Use coloured headings.
- Highlight totals using a different background colour.
- Avoid using too many colours.
Row Height and Column Width
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Row Height | Changes the height of rows. |
| Column Width | Adjusts the width of columns. |
| AutoFit | Automatically adjusts column width according to the content. |
Merge Cells and Wrap Text
| Feature | Use |
|---|---|
| Merge Cells | Combines multiple cells into one. |
| Merge and Centre | Creates a centred title across multiple columns. |
| Wrap Text | Displays long text on multiple lines within a cell. |
Number Formatting
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Number | 1250 |
| Currency | ₹1,250.00 |
| Percentage | 92% |
| Date | 05-Aug-2026 |
| Time | 10:30 AM |
Classroom Activity
Format the marksheet created in Session 2.
- Apply bold formatting to headings.
- Increase heading font size.
- Centre-align all marks.
- Apply borders to the table.
- Highlight the Total column.
- Change the background colour of the heading row.
- Adjust column widths.
- Merge and centre the worksheet title.
Practical Activity
Create the following worksheet heading:
| ABC PUBLIC SCHOOL | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLASS IX STUDENT MARKSHEET | ||||||
| Name | English | Maths | Science | Computer | Total | Average |
| Aarav | 85 | 92 | 88 | 90 | 355 | 88.75 |
Apply appropriate formatting to make the worksheet neat and attractive.
Points to Remember
- Formatting improves readability.
- Use colours carefully.
- Keep headings consistent.
- Merge cells only for titles.
- Use borders to separate information.
- Adjust column width to avoid hidden text.
Quick Check
- Why is formatting important?
- What is the purpose of Merge Cells?
- When should Wrap Text be used?
- How do you adjust column width?
- Which number format is used for percentages?
- Why are borders applied to worksheets?
Homework
- Create a monthly household expense sheet.
- Apply:
- Bold headings
- Background colours
- Borders
- Currency format
- Merge and Centre title
- AutoFit column width
- Save the file as Monthly_Expenses.ods.
Assessment
| Assessment Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Oral Questioning | Formatting tools and their uses. |
| Worksheet | Format the student marksheet correctly. |
| Practical Observation | Teacher checks formatting, alignment and presentation skills. |
Summary
In this session, you learned how to improve the appearance of a spreadsheet using font formatting, alignment, borders, colours, row height, column width, merge cells, wrap text and number formatting. Proper formatting makes worksheets more attractive, organized and easier to understand.