How to Restore Excel Default Row Height in New Workbooks
Question details
Users need to restore the standard default row height in newly created Excel workbooks, which is often altered by incorrect default font size settings.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating a new blank workbook in Excel.
- Observed behavior
- New blank workbooks appear with unexpectedly large row heights because the default font or font size was unintentionally increased.
Make sure you close any unnecessary open Excel workbooks before making changes, ensuring that the new application default settings save correctly.
Reset the Default Font and Font Size in Excel Options
The most common reason for irregular row heights in new workbooks is a modified default font size. Reverting this setting will fix the row height automatically.
Excel dynamically links the height of standard rows to the default font size set for the application. If a larger font size was set globally, Excel increases the default row height to accommodate it. Fixing the font size restores normal workbook formatting.
Launch Microsoft Excel. Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner, then select 'Options' at the very bottom of the left-hand navigation menu.
In the Excel Options dialog box, ensure you are on the 'General' tab.
Scroll down to the 'When creating new workbooks' section. Change the 'Use this as the default font' dropdown to a standard font (like Calibri) and set the 'Font size' dropdown to 11.
Click the 'OK' button to save your changes. You must completely close Excel and reopen it for the new default row height and font settings to take effect in a blank workbook.
Easily Manage Workbook Formatting with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a streamlined interface for managing spreadsheet formatting, allowing you to easily adjust and standardize row heights, fonts, and layouts. Enjoy a highly familiar interface designed for productivity.
- 1. Launch WPS Spreadsheets: Open WPS Office and start a new blank spreadsheet.
- 2. Access Application Options: Click the 'Menu' button in the top-left corner and select 'Options' from the drop-down list.
- 3. Modify Default Settings: Navigate to the 'General and Save' tab to access the default workbook settings.
- 4. Set Standard Font Size: Adjust the default font and size (e.g., Size 11) to ensure standard row heights are used, then click 'OK'.
- 5. Restart to Apply: Restart WPS Spreadsheets to apply the clean, standard formatting to all future workbooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard default row height in Excel?
By default, the standard row height in Excel is 15 points (20 pixels) when using the default Calibri font at size 11. If you increase the default font size, Excel automatically scales up the row height to accommodate the larger text.
Why did my row height change automatically?
Excel's row height is dynamic and adjusts automatically based on the largest font size applied to the cells within that row. Changing the default font size globally in the application's general options will dictate the starting row height for all new blank workbooks.
Can I set a specific default row height in Excel without changing the font?
Excel does not have a direct setting to lock a default row height in points for all new workbooks independent of the font. The default height is strictly tied to the default font size. However, you can create a custom workbook template (.xltx) with your desired row heights and use it to base your new workbooks on.
How do I manually adjust the row height for an existing worksheet?
Select the rows you want to adjust, right-click the row numbers on the far-left side, and choose 'Row Height'. Enter your desired value in points and click 'OK'. Alternatively, you can click and drag the boundary line below any row number to manually resize it.
