# Excel question: Can you make cells stay in one font/size/color ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2000, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819 "2000-12-09T22:27:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![annalamerino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@annalamerino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annalamerino)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819/1 "2000-12-09T22:27:59Z")
Excel question: Can you make cells stay in one font/size/color ? (I’m not a “power user”. I wish I had my old Visicalc.:() I can set the whole page to one size, etc. But if I type into a cell, it always wants to be at 10 points. So I have to re-specify the page size before I can print. Also, if I cut and paste, say from a formatted web page, the color gets into the spreadsheet, often printing as grey on grey. Is there any way to “fix” the font characteristics? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819/2 "2000-12-09T23:01:52Z")
Do you want to simply change some cells’ fonts all at once, or do you want to set the _default_ font? Setting a common format (including font) for more than one cell is easy. Just highlight the cells, columns, and/or rows, and set the font using the pull down “format” menus. You can also set the _default_ format (including font): 1. Go to **tools \> options \> general** In the Standard font box, click a font. In the Size box, enter a font size. Note that you must restart Excel to begin using the new default font and font size. Note also that _existing_ workbooks will not be affected. ---
**Author:** ![annalamerino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@annalamerino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annalamerino)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819/3 "2000-12-09T23:09:09Z")
That DID help the first question. Thanks! Now the second question: Is there any way to “freeze” that so cut & paste won’t come with attributes? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819/4 "2000-12-09T23:21:01Z")
When you go to paste, select **Edit -\> Paste Special** from the menu (rather than doing Control-V or using the icon). This will pull up a menu, and if you select **Values** , it will only paste the contents of the cell with no formatting. ---
**Author:** ![Sangria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Sangria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangria)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819/5 "2000-12-10T01:21:03Z")
The way I do it is low-tech. I have to do this every day in the mailroom. I paste into Notepad, which removes all “special” stuff, and then cut again. One extra step, but it’s fast. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_of\_the\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Soul\_of\_the\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_of_the_Machine)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819/6 "2000-12-21T16:59:45Z")
One simple improvement to rid the Paste of its attributes: Instead of pasting into Wordpad, Instead of pasting into the cell, Paste into the Edit Formula window. This is usually open in the header. That strips attributes on Paste. I don’t know how to “lock in attributes” however. That may be a pemanent problem in Excel. ---
**Author:** ![you\_da\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@you\_da\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_da_man)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-can-you-make-cells-stay-in-one-font-size-color/44819/7 "2000-12-22T23:29:00Z")
If you want the attributes to “stick”, you have to set them when you establish the spread sheet, before you enter data. I’m not sure how to convert it later, perhaps a data store and reload of some sort.