Setting Row Height

Excel normally sets the height of rows within your worksheet to reflect the size of the largest font used on the row. You can, however, adjust the height of the row to any size desired. For instance, you might want to add additional space before a row. Rather than insert a blank row, you can increase the height of the row so it has blank space before it.

The easiest method for adjusting row height is to use the mouse. All you need to do is move the mouse pointer into the row header area (the gray area at the left of the row). When you move the pointer so it is over a dividing line between rows, it changes shape to a double-headed arrow. When the mouse pointer is this shape, you can click on the left mouse button, hold it down, and drag the border to a new position. When you release the mouse button, the row is resized to the new height.

You can also adjust row height in this manner:

1. Select any cell in the row you want to adjust. If you select a cell range that includes cells in multiple rows, you can adjust the row height for more than one row at a time.
2. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
3. In the Cells group, click Format. Excel displays a selection of choices.
4. Click Row Height. Excel displays the Row Height dialog box. (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The Row Height dialog box.

5. Adjust the value in the dialog box to reflect the desired row height.
6. Click on OK.

The value shown in the dialog box (step 5) represents the current height of the selected row, in points. A point is equal to approximately 1/72 inch; it is the measurement unit used for fonts.

A third way to change the row height is a mash-up of the two presented already. Move the mouse pointer into the row header area (the gray area at the left of the row). Right-click and you'll see a Context menu appear. From the Context menu choose the Row Height option, and Excel displays the Row Height dialog box previously discussed.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6293) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Setting Row Height.