Formatting Cells and Freezing Panes

Make your data readable

Well-formatted sheets are easier to read and act on. StretchSheets gives you cell styling, adjustable column widths and row heights, and freeze panes to keep important headers in view. All formatting is saved with the workbook.

Text and cell styling

Styling applies to the currently selected cell or range. Select a range first (click a cell and drag, or use Shift + Arrow), then apply any of:

• Bold — toolbar bold button, or Ctrl + B / Cmd + B.
• Italic — toolbar italic button, or Ctrl + I / Cmd + I.
• Alignment — set text alignment (left, center, right) from the toolbar to line up numbers and labels cleanly.
• Fill color — use the Fill color control in the toolbar to shade cells, which is great for headers, totals, or status highlights.

Steps 1. Select the cell or range you want to style. 2. Click the relevant toolbar control (bold, italic, alignment, or Fill color). 3. The style applies immediately to the whole selection and is saved with your next save.

Resizing columns and rows

• Column width — drag the boundary between two column headers to widen or narrow a column so long text or numbers fit.
• Row height — drag the boundary between two row numbers to make rows taller or shorter.

These sizes are stored per sheet, so your layout looks the same the next time you open the workbook.

Freezing panes

Freeze panes keep specific rows or columns pinned in place while the rest of the grid scrolls — essential for large sheets where you'd otherwise lose sight of your headers.

• By default, a new workbook freezes the first row (the header row), so your column titles stay visible as you scroll down.
• Frozen rows and columns are saved as part of the workbook's structure, and the Dashboard tracks how many of your workbooks use them ("Frozen sheets").

Use a frozen header row so that even at row 500 you can still see what each column means, and freeze a leading column (such as an ID or name column) so it stays visible as you scroll right through many columns.

A realistic example

You're building an inventory sheet with 300 SKUs. First, select the header row (A1:E1), press Ctrl + B to bold it, and apply a light Fill color so it stands out. Widen the SKU and Location columns by dragging their header boundaries so the codes aren't cut off. Because the first row is frozen by default, your SKU / Location / On hand / Reorder at / Status headers stay pinned as you scroll through all 300 rows — no more guessing which column is which.

Tips

• Select an entire range with Shift + Arrow before styling so bold, fill, or alignment applies to the whole block in one action.
• Use fill color sparingly and consistently — for example, one shade for headers and one for totals — so color carries meaning.
• Right-align number columns and left-align text columns for a clean, scannable table.
• A frozen header row plus a bold, filled header is the single biggest readability win on any long sheet.

Troubleshooting

• My formatting didn't save. Formatting is stored with the workbook — click Save (or let autosave finish) after styling. The Dashboard's "Formatted cells" count confirms styles are being saved.
• A column is too narrow and shows cut-off text. Drag the boundary between that column's header and the next to widen it; the width is remembered.
• My headers scroll away. New workbooks freeze the first row by default; if a header row isn't staying put, confirm the header is in the frozen row region of the sheet.

FAQ

Can I format a whole range at once?
Yes. Select the range first, then apply bold, italic, alignment, or fill — the style covers every cell in the selection.

Are column widths and row heights saved?
Yes. Sizing is stored per sheet and restored the next time the workbook opens.

How many rows and columns can a sheet have?
Each sheet starts at 120 rows by 40 columns and grows as you work, and freeze panes keep your headers visible no matter how far you scroll.