Custom Views in Excel – Save filter and header settings for quick reference

PHD reader and commenter Vishy contributed this post through e-mail. Thank you so much Vishy for this very useful tip.

The Problem:

• You have created a specific view of your data in Excel (say by filtering, zooming out, changing column width, hiding specific rows, customizing window settings, print settings etc.). This is your reference point say view ABC.
• Then, you change some of it (say remove certain filters, change column width etc.), and then some more.
• ABC view is so helpful as a reference that you need to revisit that view over and over again after changing it in different ways (say applying different filters each time)

Solution: Custom Views in Excel

• Define and use Custom Views (a set of display and print settings that you can name and apply to a workbook)

Create a custom view in Excel 2003, 2007

• Change the settings that you want to save in the view.
• (2003) View menu >> Custom Views
• (2007) View tab >> Workbook Views group >> Custom Views
• Select Add
• In the Name box, type a name for the view (Make sure to include the active sheet name in the name of a view to make it easier to identify).
• Under Include in view, select the options you want.

Activate a Custom View to See it

• (2003) View menu >> Custom Views
• (2007) View tab >> Workbook Views group >> Custom Views
• In the Views box, select the name of the view you want, and then select Show.

Delete a custom view

• (2003) View menu >> Custom Views
• (2007) View tab >> Workbook Views group >> Custom Views
• In the Views box, select the name of the view you want, and then select Delete.

You can use a custom view to save specific display settings (such as column widths, row heights, hidden rows and columns, cell selections, filter settings, and window settings) and print settings (such as page settings, margins, headers and footers, and sheet settings) for a worksheet so that you can quickly apply these settings to that worksheet when needed.

You can also include a specific print area in a custom view. You can create multiple custom views per worksheet, but you can only apply a custom view to the worksheet that was active when you created the custom view. If any worksheet in the workbook contains an Excel table (2007) or Excel list (2003), the Custom Views command will not be available anywhere in the workbook.

PHD’s note: Once again thanks to Vishy for sharing this idea. Please drop your comments here to share your questions or love, I am sure Vishy will respond.