3.1 Important Excel Specifications – Intro to Excel 2016

Excel Basic Information

By default, Microsoft Excel uses Calibri font size 11 as Body Font when you type data in a worksheet, header or footer, or text box. You can change the default font and font size for all new workbooks that you create by entering the Backstage View and selecting the Excel Options category, General section.

  • The default column width is 8.43 characters.
  • The default row height is 15 points.
  • Points and characters use 2 different measuring systems. A 20-character column width does not equate to 20-points in row height.
Workbook Specifications and Limits


Workbook Specifications and Limits

Specification Limit
Open workbooks Limited by available memory and system resources
Worksheet size 1,048,576 rows X 16,384 columns
Column width 255 characters (default width 8.43 characters)
Row height 409 points maximum (1 point = 1/72 inch) Row height default is 15 points
Page Breaks 1026 horizontal and vertical
Total characters in a cell 32,767 characters
Characters in a header/footer 255
Sheets in a workbook Limited by available memory (default is 1 sheet). Excel does not crash on its own accord, although it will eventually quit responding if you overtax the RAM memory allocated to the PC.
Undo levels 100
Zoom range 10% to 400%
Users who can open and share a shared workbook at the same time 256


Workbook Specifications and Limits

Specification Limit
Open Workbooks Limited by available memory and system resources
Worksheet Size 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns
Column Width 255 characters (default width 8.43 characters
Row Height 409 points maximum (1 point = 1/72 inch)(default is 15)
Page Breaks 1,026 horizontal and vertical
Total characters in a cell 32,767 characters
Characters in a header/footer 255
Sheets in a workbook Limited by available memory (default is 1 sheet). Excel does not crash on its own accord, although Excel will eventually quite responding if you overtax the RAM memory allocated to the PC
Undo Levels 100
Zoom Range 10% to 400%
User who can open and share a shared workbook at the same time 256

Worksheet Navigation


Workbook Specifications and Limits

To move the active cell Do one of the following:
Right Tab, right arrow, mouse, *Enter key (dependent on options choice)
Left Shift+Tab, left arrow, mouse, *Enter key (dependent on options choice)
Down Enter, down arrow, mouse, *Enter key (dependent on options choice)
Up Up arrow, mouse, *Enter key (dependent on options choice)
*Must go into Excel Options Advanced section, Editing options, to change the action of the active cell after depressing the Enter key.


Workbook Specifications and Limits

Specification Limit
Open Workbooks Limited by available memory and system resources
Worksheet Size 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns
Column Width 255 characters (default width 8.43 characters
Row Height 409 points maximum (1 point = 1/72 inch)(default is 15)
Page Breaks 1,026 horizontal and vertical
Total characters in a cell 32,767 characters
Characters in a header/footer 255
Sheets in a workbook Limited by available memory (default is 1 sheet). Excel does not crash on its own accord, although Excel will eventually quite responding if you overtax the RAM memory allocated to the PC
Undo Levels 100
Zoom Range 10% to 400%
User who can open and share a shared workbook at the same time 256
Section completed. Go to Module 3 Section 3.2 Mouse Symbols in Excel