iPad User Magazine - UK (2019-04)

A nicetouch:inserta graphic(inthesamewayasthetext

boxin step6),thenunderStylefromthebrushicon,

reduceitsOpacitybeforepositioningit overthetableasa

watermark.FromArrange,chooseLocksoyoudon’tmove

it whileeditingcellslater.

Formatting in Numbers

Spreadsheetsneedn’tbedull.Get creativeandmakethefigurespop

ITWILLTAKE

30 minutes

YOUWILLLEARN

HowtouseNumbers’

formattingcontrolsto

getsheetslookingjust

thewayyouwant

YOU’LLNEED

iOS 12 and Numbers

The way Numbers thinks about a

spreadsheet is a bit different

from the likes of Excel, and

makes structuring it more like

looking at page of paper. A blank document in

Excel is an endless grid of cells into which you

can type numbers, formulae and text labels; if

you add charts or graphics, they float over the

top, like interlopers.

In Numbers, cells only exist within tables.

When you pick the Blank template, it starts

you off with a table of an arbitrary size, titled

‘Table 1’. You can adapt that, or delete it and

start from an empty page. The default table is

sized to fit across A4, as you’ll see if you tap

the three dots in the small toolbar at the top

right of the screen for the More menu, then

pick Print. The cogwheel at the top right then

has further print settings, albeit minimal.

Cells versus text

Any content that uses spreadsheet

functionality – references, formulae and so on

• must be placed in a table cell. If you want to
  title or label something but Numbers for iOS’
  limited style and position settings make the
  built-in option unsatisfactory, you can create
  a table with just one cell, referencing the
  relevant data. If you just want to type some
  text, on the other hand, add a dedicated Text
  box from the Basics set in the shapes available
  on the third tab under the plus icon in the
  toolbar. This gives you more style options,
  accessed as always from the brush icon.
  Adam Banks

APP