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Excel Training

Applying a background to an Excel worksheet

This is a quick function to try out and can add a bit of fun to a worksheet.

I’m creating a worksheet listing different forms of marine life for a quiz for some children visiting the local aquarium.

It will make the screen look more inviting if I have a photo behind the worksheet to go with the theme.

I create a new file, and go to the Page Layout tab, and select background.

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The Page Layout tab has the Background button…

I can select one of Microsoft Pictures Library to make this super-quick (the kids are waiting…)…brilliant, I’ve found a jellyfish.

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Jumping jellyfish – that looks fun!

The background is quite dark, so I will change my font colour to silver using the Home tab 

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Use the Home tab to change the font colour

The children may be a tad young to come along to Excel courses, but we can still help them learn about marine life by using Excel with our helpful little jellyfish. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/microsoft/excel-training-london.php

 

 

 

Categories
Excel Training

Adding a Calculated Item to a Pivot Table in Excel 2010

Above is an example of a standard pivot table in Microsoft Excel 2010.  It is set up with financial quaters as column headers and products as Row labels.  I’m interested in seeing the results for the combined sales for the first half and the second half of the year. As you can see I have colour coded these two halves and now I am going to add two “calculated items” showing a total for Q1+Q2 and Q3+Q4.

TAKE ACTION: 

  1. Ensure your cursor is placed onto the Q4 column header as in the image.
  2. Select the “PivotTable tools” tab and click on “options”
  3. In the “calculations” box” select “fields, items, & sets” and then “calculated items”

When this box appears follow these instructions:

  1. Click into the “name” field and enter the new name Qtr1+Qtr2.
  2. Click into “formula” field, remove the 0, double click on Qtr1 in the “Items” field, add + then double click on the Qtr2 from the “Items” field.  Here you are entering a formula which is Qtr1 + Qtr2.
  3. Click the “Add” button and then OK

You will now see that this new column has been added to your PivotTable in Microsoft Excel 2010.

Repeat this process for Qtr3 + Qtr4 and adjust the background colours to match those already on the pivot table.  All going well you should have a pivot table that resembles the one I have pasted below:

You now have a pivot chart showing you the totals for both halves of the year.  Take note that your grand total includes your two new columns so its best to remove that. To learn how to remove the total column in Microsoft Excel 2010, well that’s for the next blog.

Good luck!