Formatting doesn't change any value, but it decides whether a table can be read at a glance. The Home tab holds the everyday tools:
- Font group: bold (Ctrl+B), italic (Ctrl+I), font color and fill color. The color buttons apply the color shown on them; the arrow next to them opens the palette.
- Borders: the arrow opens a menu of sides: Bottom, Top, All Borders, Outside Borders and more. Borders apply to the edges of the selection, so select first.
- Alignment group: left, center, right, and Wrap Text.
Center places text in the middle of each cell. Merge & Center joins several cells into one and keeps only the top-left value; it also gets in the way of sorting and selecting, so prefer plain centering in data tables.
Key tips work too: press Alt, then H for the Home tab, and the letters shown on each button.