How to Create Rounded Corners in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide

In Excel, you cannot directly create rounded corners for cells, but there are effective workarounds to achieve a similar effect. This article will guide you through two common methods: using shapes and cell styles and borders.

Method 1: Using Shapes

Insert a Shape:

Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon. Click on Shapes and select the Rounded Rectangle from the dropdown menu.

Draw the Shape:

Click and drag to draw the rounded rectangle over the desired cells.

Format the Shape:

Right-click the shape and select Format Shape to customize the fill color, border, and other properties.

Send to Back (if necessary):

Right-click the shape and go to Send to Back. Select Send Backward to place it behind the cells.

Using this method provides a more pronounced rounded corner effect, but it requires layering the shape over the cells.

Method 2: Using Cell Styles and Borders

This method won't create true rounded corners, but it can give your cells a soft, rounded appearance:

Select the Cells: Highlight the cells you want to format. Add Borders: Go to the Home tab. Click on the Borders dropdown in the Font group and choose More Borders. In the Borders dialog, select the desired border style and apply it to your cells.

Additional Tips and Notes

The shape method is more effective for creating pronounced rounded corners but requires placing the shape over the cells. The border method offers a softer, more integrated look but does not create true rounded corners.

Excel does not inherently support rounded corners for cell formatting. Therefore, shapes are your best option for achieving this look. If you need more detailed instructions or additional options, feel free to ask.

Using the Round Function in Excel

While Excel does not directly support rounded corners, you can use the Round function to round numerical values. Here’s how:

Suppose you have a cell with the value 10 and you want to round it to the nearest whole number. Use the formula ROUND(A1,0), where A1 is the cell containing the value 10. This will return the value 10 with rounded corners in the context of cell formatting.

Similarly, you can use the ROUNUP and ROUNDDOWN functions to round a value up or down, respectively.

Note: The Round function is useful for formatting numbers but doesn't visually change the cell's appearance in the way that rounded corners do.