Add Excel table and cell styles

Excel's Format as Table feature allows you to quickly transform a range of cells into a formatted table. However, this formatting is applied independently of regular cell formatting, and is therefore, for example, not recognized by VBA macros. Moreover, applying it is somewhat cumbersome, requiring at least three clicks.

think-cell allows you to define up to ten favorites and apply them to the selected range as regular cell formatting with a single click in the ribbon.

To do so, first define the style that you would like to apply:

1. In Excel, go to Home > Styles > Format as Table and do one of the following:
   • Create a completely new style by selecting New Table Style.
   • Adjust an existing style by right-clicking the style and selecting Duplicate.
2. Name the style think-cell Table Style N, where N is a number from 1 to 10.
3. Create the table style that you want. You can define the table style's font, borders, and fills (see Create or delete a custom table style).
4. When you're finished, select OK.

Next, add a button to the ribbon that applies this table style (see also Customize think-cell ribbon controls):

1. Right-click the ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon.
2. In the Customize the Ribbon dialog, in the list on the right, select the tab where you want to place the button, or create a new tab by selecting New Tab.
3. Create a new group in the tab by selecting New Group, or select an existing custom group.
4. On the left, go to Main Tabs > think-cell Commands > think-cell Commands.
5. Select think-cell Table Style N, where N is the number that you picked in step 2.
6. Select Add >>.

Repeat as needed for further table styles. The buttons that you add to the ribbon will show you a preview of the styles. You can use the Rename button in the Customize the Ribbon dialog to give the buttons more descriptive names.

The table style will always be applied with all header and total rows, first and last columns, and row banding defined. If you want a button for applying the table style without them, duplicate the style, change its name to a different N, and remove them. Column banding is not supported.

You can also place buttons for quick access to cell styles in the same way. Name them think-cell style N and add the corresponding think-cell Style button to the ribbon.

Custom table and cell styles are saved in the workbook, rather than globally in Excel. If you want to always use the same table styles assigned to the same buttons, create a workbook where those styles are assigned to the ribbon buttons as described above, and save it as an Excel template (*.xltx) that you use as a basis for future workbooks. For general information on Excel templates, see Save a workbook as a template.