How To Make a Better Excel Model: Center Across Selection VS. Merging Cells

What is Center Across Selection in Excel?

In an excel financial model, the Center Across Selection option centers the text across the columns but leaves the cells in place.

To access the Center Across Selection, select the text you want to center, go to the Alignment tab in the format cells dialog box, select ‘Center Across Selection’, and click OK.

What is Merging Cells in Excel?

In excel, the Merge Cells option physically mergers the selected cells, and centers the text, maintaining the value only in the upper-left cell; the other cells are destroyed during the merge.

To Merge Cells, select the relevant cells, click on Merge and Center under Alignment in the Home tab, and click OK.

Why are they Important?

The Merge Cells option formats the worksheet by deleting cells and making one large cell so that the data centers across the desired range. This is important for formatting headers and titles in reports, making them appear more organized.

In a financial model, Merge Cells cannot be used as they delete cells from the spreadsheet, making it difficult to run macros and apply formulas. Instead, the Center Across Selection can be used as the end result looks the same and allows it to maintain the original worksheet structure.

Center Across Selection vs. Merging Cells

Center Across Selection only centers data across the selected cells and does not delete them. Merge Cells on the other hand deletes all data except the values in the upper left column. It changes the structure of the worksheet and as a result, you can no longer sort on the columns with the data.

Conclusion

The results from the Center across selection and Merge Cells look the same, but center across selection is better as it leaves the excel structure intact, allowing edits to be made easily.

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About the Author

Eric Bergin is the founder of TSM. He realized that there was a need for real estate financial models that were more than just generic templates. He wanted to create a personalized product for his customers that would ensure success for them and their company. Please reach out to him if you have any questions regarding discounted cashflows or if he can help you with your modeling needs.