When you open a new workbook in Excel, what’s the first thing you adjust?

Maybe the font? or you add 5 more sheets because who uses Excel with just one sheet?!

Here’s the thing - Excel doesn’t have to stick to its defaults. You can make it work the way YOU want.

This week in Between the Sheets we're looking at small but useful enhancements you can make to your future workbooks.

As well as:

• introducing the Core Visuals vision board in Power BI
• catching up on new developments in AI tools
• inviting you to the Global Excel Summit 2025

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⚙️ Change the Default

So let's say every time you open a blank file in Excel, you want 6 sheets.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Go to File > Options.
2. Under General, adjust the number for "Include this many sheets".

But maybe it's not the sheets that bother you - maybe it's something else.

Perhaps you're not a fan of the new default Aptos font.

Or you'd love to have a larger font in the formula bar. (Some things get better with age - your eyesight isn’t one of them.)

Luckily, the solution is just as simple. Back in Options:

1. Under General, scroll to "When creating new workbooks".
2. Adjust the default font type and size.
3. Restart Excel and you're all set!

Note: "Body Font" is the current Microsoft default (in the past Arial, then Calibri, and now Aptos).

Pro tip when picking a font: mind your letters O and zeros 0, as well as your Is, ls, and 1s).

The changes you make here apply to both the grid and the formula bar.

But the changes to the grid (which font is used inside the cells) will only apply to newly created files.

The new font settings in the formula bar will be reflected in all files.

Increasing the font size in the formula bar is also useful for Excel trainers - it helps your trainees better see what you're showing.

Monospaced Font

If you're writing complex, multi-line, indented formulas, you may benefit from a monospaced font (e.g. Consolas, Courier New).

In a monospaced font, each character has the same width. This offers consistent alignment and makes it easier to spot errors.

In Microsoft 365, the formula bar now uses a monospaced font by default.

If you don't find it useful, you can disable it in Options > Formulas.

1. Go to File > Options > Formulas.
2. Uncheck "Use monospace font for all formulas".

Note: A change to the workbook's default font type also overrides the monospace font in the formula bar.

If this opened your mind to the possibilities, check out some other Excel settings worth exploring.

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Join Me at the Global Excel Summit 2025!

The trailer for GES 2025 just dropped 😉

You get to peek at some of the backstage footage and take in the vibes from the last summit.

This time, it's an even better venue. And I'm sure we can top the atmosphere as well.

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When & Where

@sohoplace theatre, London, UK, 4-6 February, 2024.

It's a great opportunity to chat Excel, compare notes, and learn from amazing experts.

I hope you can come 😊

If you can - book your ticket now and use the offer code LEILA at checkout for a 20% discount!

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🤓 Geeky News

📊 Power BI Core Visuals Vision Board

​Power BI's Core Visuals Team has launched a Vision Board (using Power BI, of course).

The revamp of Power BI visuals is an ongoing process, with new visuals and visual enhancements introduced every month. And there's more still to come.

Now there's one place where you can track the product team's progress. See what’s completed, under development, and pending.

You can even vote for the features you're most eager to see implemented.

Soon, it will also include a roadmap for future updates.

🤖 ChatGPT becomes more interactive with Canvas

ChatGPT introduced a Canvas feature that lets you interact with the AI-generated results.

It can be useful for long-form texts or generating code. You can edit the result directly on the canvas.

Or you can use the built-in tools to tweak the results - either the entire draft, or the sections you highlight.

It's more hands-on than a back-and-forth with a chatbot.

For text, you can suggest edits or adjust the length and reading level. For code, you can review, fix bugs, or add comments.

GPT-4o with canvas is currently in beta for ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

🤖 Other AI News Roundup

• ChatGPT Search is less impressive. Research showed that Open AI's search tool misattributes sources. And it returns wrong information with full confidence.
• The controversial Recall AI feature that takes snapshots of all your PC activity is back, with renewed focus on security. It's currently available for testing by Windows Insiders, and first impressions are positive.
• Meanwhile, Microsoft seems unsure what to do with the Copilot app for Windows. It unveiled yet another revamp and a new shortcut, but it's still just a web wrapper for the online chatbot. Nowhere near as powerful as Copilot for Microsoft 365.
• Google released the latest version of its Gemini model - Gemini 2.0. It supports AI Agents that can take on specific tasks, like fix bad code or play video games.
• AI video generation is heating up, with Google launching a public preview of Veo, and Open AI releasing Sora (to paying subscribers in the US).

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👏 Power Stories

Congrats Zulkarnain on earning the Excel Pivot Tables badge!

It's great to hear the new techniques picked up in the course are improving your data projects.

Got a success story about using your XelPlus skills? I’d love to hear it! Hit reply to share the details, and inspire other students 😇

See you next week,

Leila

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