When sharing Excel sheets with colleagues or collaborators, it’s easy for formatting—especially font size—to be unintentionally changed during editing. If you’re working on a report, form, or template where font consistency is important, it’s best to lock the font size.
In this article, you’ll learn how to lock the font size in Excel so no one can accidentally alter it, even while editing other parts of the sheet. This method uses Excel’s built-in Protect Sheet feature.
Let’s go through the process step by step.
Step 1: Select All Cells in Your Excel Sheet
Before protecting the sheet, you must ensure all cells are selected so the formatting—including font size—is covered.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all the cells.
- Alternatively, click the small triangle at the top-left corner of the worksheet (where the row and column headings meet).
This ensures your formatting protection applies to the entire sheet.
Step 2: Navigate to the Review Tab
Once all cells are selected:
- Click on the Review tab located on the top ribbon of the Excel window.
- This tab provides tools to control how others interact with your spreadsheet, including editing and formatting permissions.
Step 3: Use the “Protect Sheet” Feature
- In the Review tab, click on Protect Sheet.
- A new dialog box will appear with various options to restrict what others can change.
Step 4: Disable the Ability to Format Cells
To prevent others from changing the font size:
- In the Protect Sheet dialog box, uncheck all permissions except the ones you want to allow.
- Make sure to uncheck or leave unchecked the box labeled “Format cells”.
- This specifically prevents users from modifying font type, size, and other formatting styles.
- If desired, enter a password to further secure your settings.
- Once entered, Excel will ask you to confirm the password in a second pop-up.
Step 5: Apply Protection
- After adjusting your settings and entering a password (optional), click OK.
- If you added a password, re-enter it when prompted.
Now, your font size and formatting are locked. Other users can still input or modify data (if permitted), but they won’t be able to change how it looks.
Final Thoughts
Locking the font size in Excel is a simple yet powerful way to ensure consistency in your spreadsheets. Whether you’re creating a professional report, a school assignment, or a shared document, this method helps you maintain control over your formatting.
For more information about Microsoft Excel features, visit the official Microsoft site:
👉 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/excel
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