How to Make Excel Columns the Same Width

In Excel, you can make the columns the same width to ensure that data fits neatly on pages when printed and the document looks professional.

In this tutorial, I will show you four ways of making Excel columns the same width.

The default column width in Excel is 8.43 points or 64 pixels. However, as you work in Excel, this width keeps expanding to accommodate the cell contents, resulting in varying column widths. The smallest column width is 0 points or 0 pixels for hidden columns and 255 points or 340 pixels for the maximum width.

Some methods will require the selection of columns; therefore, it is essential to know how to select all columns at once, adjacent or non-adjacent columns in Excel.

How to Select Columns in Excel

To select all columns in a worksheet, press CTRL + A or click the ‘Select All’ button in the upper left corner of the worksheet where the row numbers and column letters intersect:

To select adjacent columns, click the letter header of the first column and drag to the letter header of the last column of the selection.

To select non-adjacent columns, click the letter header of the first column, press and hold down the CTRL key, and click the letter headers of the other columns you want to select.

Also read: Useful Excel Shortcuts

Method #1: Make Excel Columns the Same Width by Manually Adjusting Column Widths

Suppose you have the dataset below with varying column widths:

You can manually make the column widths the same size the same using the steps below:

1. Select the columns you want to adjust the column widths of:

2. Place the cursor on the  right edge of one of the columns’ letter headers in the selection and drag the resizing handle (double-headed arrow) to the right to increase the column width or to the left to decrease the column width according to your requirements:

Notice a box above the resizing handle indicating the changing column width as you drag.

3. Release the mouse button when you reach the desired column width, and Excel makes all the column widths the same size.

The downside of this method is that dragging the column width may not provide precise control over the exact width, leading to slight inconsistencies in the sizes of different columns.

This can be particularly problematic when precise column width is necessary for the layout or printing of the document.

Also, replicating the exact width manually can be challenging if you need to apply the same column width in different sheets or files. This can be an issue in maintaining consistency across multiple documents.

Also read: Autofit Column Width in Excel (Shortcut)

Method #2: Make Excel Columns the Same Width Using Column Width Dialog Box

Suppose you have the dataset below with varying column widths:

You can adjust the column widths to be the same size using the ‘Column Width’ dialog box using the steps below:

1. Select the columns you want to adjust the widths of.

2. On the ‘Home’ tab, on the ‘Cells’ group, open the ‘Format’ drop-down and choose ‘Column Width’ to access the ‘Column Width’ dialog box.

Alternatively, right-click the selection and choose ‘Column Width’ on the context menu:

3. On the ‘Column Width’ dialog box, enter the value you desire on the ‘Column width’ box and click ‘OK.’

Excel adjusts the column widths to the value you entered in the dialog box:

This method applies the same width to all selected columns, which might not be ideal if the data types in these columns vary significantly. For example, a column with long text strings might need more width than a column with short numeric data. Applying the same width to all can result in either truncated data or excessive empty space.

Also read: How to Copy Column Widths in Excel?

Method #3: Make Excel Columns the Same Width by Matching Column Widths to Another Column

Suppose you have the dataset below with varying column widths:

You can match the columns to the width of the column you want to use to make all the columns the same width.

In this case, we want to match the widths of the columns to the width of column A. Here are the steps:

1. Select a blank cell in column A and press CTRL + C to copy it to the clipboard.

2. Select blank cells in columns B, C, D, E, and F.

3. On the ‘Home’ tab, on the ‘Clipboard’ group, open the ‘Paste’ drop-down menu and choose the ‘Keep Source Column Widths’ option.

Alternatively, you can use the shortcut ALT + E + S + W + Enter.

The column widths of columns B, C, D, E, and F will be matched to the width of column A.

Also read: How To Set Column Width in Inches (or Centimeters) in Excel?

Method #4: Make Excel Columns the Same Width Using VBA

Assuming you have the dataset below with varying column widths on the active worksheet:

You can adjust the column widths to be the same size of 11.14 points using the VBA code below:

Sub AdjustColumnWidth()

Dim ws As Worksheet

Dim desiredWidth As Double

desiredWidth = 11.14

Set ws = ActiveSheet

ws.Columns("A:F").ColumnWidth = desiredWidth

End Sub

When you execute the code, it makes all the columns the same width:

Explanation of the Code

The VBA code macro adjusts the column width for columns A to F on the active sheet to a specific width set by the variable ‘desiredWidth.’

The ‘desiredWidth’ variable is declared a ‘Double’ data type, meaning it can hold decimal values.

You can change the target columns and assign a different value to the ‘desiredWidth’ variable to suit your requirements.

Benefits of Having Uniform Column Widths in Excel

Having the same column widths can be beneficial in several ways when working with Excel. Here are some of the advantages:

1. Columns with the same width give the worksheet a neat and organized look, making it easier to navigate, read, and understand.
2. When you have the same column width, it becomes easier to compare data across columns. This ease in comparing data is handy when you have a lot of data to analyze.
3.  If you plan to print your worksheet, having the same column width ensures that the data fits neatly on the page.
4. By setting the same column width for multiple columns, you can save the time and effort you would have spent adjusting each column individually.
5. Consistent column widths can simplify the process of entering or editing data. Users can anticipate the space available for input, reducing the likelihood of data being cut off or hidden.
6. Having uniform column widths can improve compatibility when sharing or exchanging data with other applications or users. The uniformity ensures data retains its structure when exported or imported into different formats.

In this tutorial, I showed you four ways of making Excel columns the same width. I hope you found the tutorial helpful.

Other Excel articles you may also like:

• Excel Autofit Row Height Not Working – How to Fix
• How to Transpose Multiple Rows into One Column in Excel
• How to Swap Columns in Excel?