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You have many options for add cell borders in Microsoft Excel . But if you want to get a little creative or use a border with more meaning for you, you can create and reuse a custom border in Excel.
The default border options in Excel are fine in most cases. You can use a top, bottom, left, or right cell border, surround a group of cells inside and outside, and choose the thickness and style of the line.
But maybe you do a lot of data analysis and want more than these options that you can apply quickly and without automatic conditional formatting .
Create a custom border cell style in Excel
With Cell Styles , you can create and customize a cell border that you can reuse throughout your workbook.
To get started, open your workbook in Excel and go to the Home tab. In the Styles section of the ribbon, click “Cell Styles” and select “New Cell Style.”
In the Style window that appears, click “Format”.
Format the custom border
When the Format Cells window opens, select the Border tab. On the left, choose a style for the line and a color based on your preferences.
On the right, use the Preset and Border boxes to choose where and how your border will be displayed. You can choose a border for the top, bottom, left, or right and use diagonal lines in the center. When you click on each Border box, you will see a preview of what its border will look like.
In our example, we will create a red blood cell border with thick and thin lines that essentially cross out the contents of the cell. This allows us to easily delete certain cells while we review our data.
With flexible options, you can combine colors, line styles and thicknesses, and different sides or center of your border. So you have full control over customizing your border.
When done, click “OK” and you will be returned to the Style window to complete your Cell Style setup.
Finish setting the cell style
Enter a Style Name for the custom border. Then then uncheck all items except Border. If you’d like to use one of the additional styles in conjunction with your custom border, just check the box.
Next to the Border option, you will also see the settings you just chose for the border. Click “OK” to complete the new custom cell style border.
Use your custom border cell style
When you want to use your new custom border, select a cell or a range of cells. Go to the Home tab and click on “Cell Styles” on the ribbon. You will see your new style at the top under Custom. Click to apply it to the cell.
You can reuse your custom border (Cell Style) on any sheet in your workbook, making it a format option fast and convenient .
