Welcome to Sheets Fundamentals. In this section we will cover the following topics:
Create Spreadsheets
Open a Spreadsheet
Navigate Spreadsheets
File Management
Print Spreadsheets
Get Help
Create Spreadsheets
Creating a new spreadsheet is one of the most basic commands you need to know in Google Sheets. You can create a new, blank sheet or create a new sheet based on a variety of pre-designed templates.
Create a Spreadsheet
Open a folder in Google Drive.
Click the New button.
Select Google Sheets.
Create a Spreadsheet
A new, blank workbook is created, and you can start entering data.
Name a Spreadsheet
Click in the name field above the spreadsheet.
Type a new name, then press Enter.
Name a Spreadsheet
The file is renamed.
Save and Close
As long as you’re connected to the internet, Google Sheets will automatically save your work.
Make sure that changes have been automatically saved.
Save and Close
The spreadsheet is saved and will appear the same once you reopen it.
Create a Spreadsheet from a Template
If you need help getting started with a common document, such as a budget, schedule, or calendar, you can use one of Sheets’ templates instead of starting from scratch.
Click New.
Click > next to Google Sheets.
Select From a template.
Create a Spreadsheet from a Template
The Template gallery appears, with tabs that sort templates into two groups. The first tab is for templates you, or others in your organization, have submitted. The second tab is for built-in templates.
Select a template gallery.
There are plenty of templates available, organized into categories.
Select a template.
Create a Spreadsheet from a Template
A new spreadsheet is created using the template, with its design elements and placeholder data appearing.
Open a Spreadsheet
Opening a spreadsheet lets you use a spreadsheet that you or someone else has previously created and then saved. This lesson explains how to open a saved spreadsheet.
Open a Spreadsheet from Google Drive
Navigate to the folder with the spreadsheet you want to open.
Double-click the spreadsheet. Open a Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet opens in its own tab.
Open a Spreadsheet from Google Sheets
If you don’t have a Google Drive tab open, you can browse for and open spreadsheets from within a Google Sheets window.
Click File on the menu bar.
Select Open. Open a Spreadsheet
A dialog box opens, where you have a few ways to find a spreadsheet to open:
Search for a file in the search field.
Browse through the folders in your Google Drive.
Click a tab to view your Shared With Me, Starred, or Recent files.
Navigate to or search for a spreadsheet. Open a Spreadsheet
Double-click the spreadsheet you want to open. Open a Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet opens in Google Sheets.
Navigate Spreadsheets
A Google Sheets spreadsheet can have up to 5 million cells. Fortunately, very few need to be this big, but knowing how to navigate through a spreadsheet is another critical Sheets topic you’ll need to know before you can master Sheets. This lesson explains the most common ways to navigate a Sheets spreadsheet.
Select a Cell
Select a single cell by using:
The Mouse: Click any cell with the cross pointer.
The Keyboard: Move the cell pointer using your keyboard’s arrow keys.
Select a Cell
To help you know where you are in a spreadsheet, Sheets displays row headings, identified by numbers, on the left side of the worksheet, and column headings, identified by letters, at the top of the spreadsheet. Each cell in a spreadsheet has its own cell address made from its column letter and row number such as cell A1, A2, B1, B2, etc.
Navigate Between Cells and Pages
Sheets has several shortcuts that make it fast to get around your spreadsheets; they’re included in this table:
| Press | To Move |
|---|---|
| ? or Enter | Down one row and/or confirm cell changes |
| ? or Shift + Enter | Up one row |
| ? or Tab | Right one column and/or confirm cell changes |
| ? or Shift + Tab | Left one column |
| Home | To column A in the current row |
| Ctrl + Home | To the first cell (A1) in the worksheet |
| Ctrl + End | To the last cell with data in the worksheet |
| Page Up | Up one screen |
| Page Down | Down one screen |
| Ctrl + G | Opens the Find dialog box where you can search for specific data |
Use the vertical and horizontal scroll bars to scroll up/down or left/right.
Navigate Between Sheets
Click the sheet you want to view. Select a Cell
File Management
As you work with Google Sheets, at some point you will need to do some file management to keep your spreadsheets organized.
Normally you manage your spreadsheets in Google Drive, but you can also do some basic file management inside Sheets.
Rename a Spreadsheet
Click the file name near the top of the screen.
Edit the spreadsheet name.
Rename a Spreadsheet
Press Enter.
Even if you change a spreadsheet’s name, its URL stays the same, so anyone you might have shared the spreadsheet with won’t lose their access to it.
Star a Spreadsheet
If you’re working with a lot of spreadsheets, you can mark some spreadsheets as more important than others.
Click the star icon next to the spreadsheet name.
Star a Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet is marked with a star.
To remove a star, just click the star again.
Copy a Spreadsheet
Click File on the menu bar.
Select Make a copy.
Copy a Spreadsheet
The Copy Document dialog appears.
Enter a Name for the copied spreadsheet.
(Optional) Specify the Folder where you want to save the copied spreadsheet.
Click OK.
Copy a Spreadsheet
Google creates and displays the copied spreadsheet.
Move a Spreadsheet
Click File on the menu bar.
Select Move to.
Move a Spreadsheet
Navigate to the desired folder.
Click Move here.
Move a Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet is moved to a new location.
You can also move spreadsheets by clicking the folder icon next to the file name.
Delete a Spreadsheet
Finally, you can delete a spreadsheet if you no longer need it.
Click File on the menu bar.
Select Move to trash.
Delete a Spreadsheet
Google deletes the spreadsheet and moves it to the Trash in Google Drive.
Print Spreadsheets
Once you’ve created a spreadsheet, and your computer is connected to a printer, you can print a copy. Before you do this, it’s a good idea to preview how it’s going to look.
Print a Spreadsheet
Click File.
Select Print.
Print a Spreadsheet
Specify any print settings:
Print (What to print)
Page Orientation
Scale
Headers & Footers
Click Next.
Print a Spreadsheet
Specify any additional printing options:
Destination
Pages
Copies
Click Print.
Print a Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet is sent to the printer.
| Print Settings | |
|---|---|
| Pages | Print the whole document, a certain page, a page range, or a mix of pages and ranges (e.g. 1-5, 8, 11-13). |
| Paper Size | Select the size of paper you’re printing on. |
| Pages per sheet | Arrange multiple pages on a single sheet. |
| Margins | Adjust the margins between the edge of the page and the text. |
| Scale | Adjust the scale to make the content on the page larger or smaller when printed. |
Get Help
The Help feature can answer questions and offer tips to help you get the most out of Google Sheets’ tools.
Search for a Command
Google Sheets has a lot of commands—so many that it can sometimes be challenging to remember where they all are. Fortunately, you can easily search the menus to find commands.
Click Help on the menu bar.
Type what you’re looking for in the Search the menus field.
Search for a Command
Commands related to your search, from all the different menus, are grouped here.
Click the desired command.
Search for a Command
Search for Help Topics
When you don’t know how to do something in Sheets, look up your question in the Sheets Help files. The Sheets Help articles can answer your questions, offer tips, and provide help for all of Google Sheets’ features.
Click Help on the menu bar.
Select Sheets Help.
Search for Help Topics
Type a key word in the Search Help field.
Press Enter.
Select the desired help topic.
Search for Help Topics
The help topic is displayed.