Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Saving Custom Formats.
Excel provides quite a bit of flexibility in creating custom formats for cells in a workbook. In fact, depending on the needs of your data, you can spend quite a bit of time formatting cells so they look the way you want them to.
At some point you may get tired of doing the same formatting over and over again, and begin to wonder if there is a way to save your custom formats so you don't have to redefine them all the time. Unfortunately, there is not a full-featured way to save formats within Excel. You can get around this shortcoming quite easily, however. The trick is to define the cell formats as you want them, and then save the workbook as a template that you can later use as a basis for your future workbooks. All you need to do is use the Save As command and make sure the File Type drop-down list (at the bottom of the Save As dialog box) is set to either Excel Template or Excel Macro-Enabled Template.
As has been described in other issues of ExcelTips, you could replace your default workbook template with the new template you create, and then it becomes the basis for all new workbooks. All you need to do is give the template the name Book.xltx (if it has no macros) or Book.xltm (if it contains macros) and save it in the XLSTART folder. (The XLSTART folder is in different places on different systems; use the Find feature of Windows to locate where it is on yours.)
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10561) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Saving Custom Formats.
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2019-01-20 09:26:26
Lizzie
My computer search did not find the XLstart folder, except a whole load of deleted ones in my back up drive (??). When I found it manually it said I didn't have permission to save there. There is only me here so I thought I was the administrator. A pox on Microsoft.
2018-02-16 03:20:13
Steve Jez
Alternatively, you can format a single cell or range of cells, in your Personal workbook, as you require them. When you need the formatting, open the Personal workbook & copy the cell or range of cells.
If you don't know about the Personal workbook take a look at this article https://excelribbon.tips.net/T013097_Store_Common_Macros_in_the_Personal_Macro_Workbook.html
2018-02-15 12:53:18
Peter Atherton
Susan
Try this UDF
Function AppPath(Optional PType As Integer = 1)
If PType = 1 Then
AppPath = Application.Path
Else
AppPath = Application.StartupPath
End If
End Function
Copy it into the VB editor And enter it like a normal function i.e =AppPath(2)
2018-02-14 11:58:50
Susan Speer
Your article "Saving Custom Formats" from 3/28/15 does not seem to apply to Excel 2016. My computer cannot find the XLSTART folder. I would really like to be able to save the format I use in my workbooks. Can you help?
Thank you!
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: 
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