Microsoft has this week announced a number of new improvements for Microsoft Excel for the web. With this release, the company is expanding the browser version of the spreadsheet tool, which is available online for free with a more limited feature set than the full Excel app.
Looking at the new additions, first up is the color palette getting more customization tools. There is now a “more colors” option that allows users to slide across to select the color they want. This is basically the color picker you'd find in other Office apps.
Alternatively, it's possible to enter the RGB of hex values for the color you desire.
Elsewhere in the new update, Microsoft Excel for the web now has a new cell styles gallery. With this tool, users can gain more consistency when using founts, shading, cell borders, and other style choices.
Microsoft has also tweaked the formatting tools of Excel for web users. Specifically, it is now possible to highlight content and select between erasing or drawing new borders. For users who are used to the frustration of handline gridlines in Excel, this is a nice addition.
Also in formatting, you can now surface a toolbar (right click) that offers all the core formatting features in one place without needing to head to the Ribbon.
More Updates
Microsoft Excel users on the web are also getting some changes to tables, which are central to the whole app. This update sees Microsoft attempt to bring the web version of Excel closer to the desktop app with enhanced formatting tools for tables. You'll find new renaming options, styling tools, total rows information, and data formatting to table.
Even with this major update, Microsoft is looking to the future. The company says it will improve printing on Excel for web with a completely new experience. Expected to arrive soon, the new printing tools will include a print preview with page layouts.
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