When it comes to understanding column widths in Excel, there are a few things you need to know. For one, column width is measured in characters, not inches or centimeters. This is important to remember because it means that you can't just eyeball a column and say that it's two inches wide. Instead, you need to use the character count tool in Excel to get an accurate measurement.

The other thing to keep in mind is that different fonts have different widths. This means that if you change the font of your data, the column width will also change. So, if you're trying to make all of your columns the same width, you'll need to make sure they're all using the same font.

Finally, it's worth noting that Excel has a maximum column width of 255 characters. This means that if you try to make a column wider than 255 characters, Excel will automatically adjust it down to 255.

Now that you know the basics of column widths in Excel, let's take a closer look at how they work.

How Column Widths Are Measured

As we mentioned before, column widths are measured in characters, not inches or centimeters. The character count includes both letters and spaces. So, if a cell contains the text "Hello world", that would be 11 characters.

You can see how many characters a cell contains by selecting it and looking at the "Character Count" box in the "Home" tab of the ribbon. If you don't see this box, you can enable it by going to File > Options > Advanced and checking the "Show Character Count" box under Editing options.

How Fonts Affect Column Widths

As we mentioned before, different fonts have different widths. This means that if you change the font of your data, the column width will also change. So, if you're trying to make all of your columns the same width, you'll need to make sure they're all using the same font.

Figure 1

How To Change The Default Font In Excel

If you want to change the default font for new workbooks or worksheets, follow these steps.

1. (Windows): On the Home tab in the Font group click (Font).
2. (Mac): On the Home tab in the Font group ,
3. 
   
4. Click Format Cells (or press Ctrl+1), then click on Font tab.
   Or use shortcut keys Alt+H+FF.
   Click on drop down arrow next to Font size and select desired size.
   Or use shortcut keys Alt+H+FS.
   Click on drop down arrow next to Font and select desired font face.
   Click on drop down arrow next Style and select desired text styling such as Bold or Italic.
   Click on drop down arrow next Color and select desired text color from palette.
   Click OK twice.
>If no cells are selected when changing default font settings then new workbooks created will have these settings applied but existing workbooks will not be changed.
If cells are selected when changing default font settings then only those selected cells will be changed with new formatting leaving other cells unaffected.

>The best way to ensure all cells in a workbook share common formatting is by first selecting all cells in worksheet using shortcut keys Ctrl+A then apply desired formatting changes.>When multiple worksheets exist within a workbook its often desirable for them all to share common formatting including fonts so they maintain a consistent look throughout.