How to make merged cells the same size in excel

Making merged cells the same size means ensuring that each merged range shares the same column width and row height so they appear identical on the sheet.

Why avoid merged cells when possible?

Merged cells break sorting, filtering, and many functions. Use center-across-selection or structured layout when possible.

How to make merged cells the same size (quick, no code)

1. Select one merged cell that has the desired final size.

2. Click Home → Format → Row Height and note the numeric value.

3. Click Home → Format → Column Width and note the numeric value.

4. Select the other merged ranges you want to match (hold Ctrl / Command while clicking ranges).

5. Click Home → Format → Row Height, enter the value you noted, and click OK.

6. Click Home → Format → Column Width, enter the value you noted, and click OK.

7. If any target ranges were unmerged, select their cells and use Merge & Center on the Home tab to remerge.

How to make merged cells the same size (precise via unmerge → set → remerge)

1. Select all merged ranges you want to standardize.

2. On the Home tab, click Merge & Center to unmerge (this toggles merging).

3. Select the rows that contain those ranges: click the row numbers (hold Ctrl / Command to select nonadjacent rows).

4. Right-click a selected row number and choose Row Height. Enter the desired height and press Enter.

5. Select the columns that contain those ranges: click the column letters (hold Ctrl / Command for nonadjacent).

6. Right-click a selected column letter and choose Column Width. Enter the desired width and press Enter.

7. Reselect the cell blocks you want merged and click Merge & Center.

Windows vs Mac differences

1. Menu names are the same on both platforms under the Home tab.

2. Shortcut keys differ: use Ctrl on Windows and Command on Mac for multi-selection and copying.

3. To run a macro on Windows press Alt+F8. On Mac press Option+F8 or use Tools → Macro → Macros.

4. The numeric meaning of column width units is slightly implementation-specific across platforms, but entering the same numeric width produces visually consistent results.

How to copy the exact size from one merged cell to another (Format Painter method)

1. Select the merged cell that is sized correctly.

2. Click the Format Painter (Home tab).

3. Click each target cell or drag across a target area to apply format.

4. Confirm row height/column width matched; apply manual adjustment if necessary.

How to make many merged ranges identical using VBA (advanced, optional)

Use this macro to set every merged range in the selected area to the same row height and column width as the first merged area found:

Sub MatchMergedSizesToFirst()

    Dim rng As Range, m As Range

    Dim targetHeight As Double, targetWidth As Double

    Dim firstFound As Boolean

    firstFound = False

    For Each rng In Selection

        If rng.MergeCells Then

            Set m = rng.MergeArea

            If Not firstFound Then

                targetHeight = m.Rows(1).RowHeight

                targetWidth = m.Columns(1).ColumnWidth

                firstFound = True

            Else

                m.UnMerge

                m.Rows.RowHeight = targetHeight

                m.Columns.ColumnWidth = targetWidth

                m.Merge

            End If

        End If

    Next rng

End Sub

How to use the macro:

1. Press Alt+F11 (Windows) or Option+F11 (Mac) to open Visual Basic Editor.

2. Insert a new Module and paste the code.

3. Close editor, select the sheet range containing merged cells, run the macro via Alt+F8 (Windows) or Tools → Macro (Mac).

Tips and common pitfalls

1. Numeric column width and row height use different units: row height is in points; column width is in character units. Rely on entering the same numeric values for consistency.

2. Merged cells can break sorting, filtering, pivot tables, and many formulas. Use them sparingly.

3. Use Center Across Selection (Home → Alignment → dialog → Horizontal → Center Across Selection) when only visual centering is needed and merging is not required.

4. When matching many nonadjacent merged cells, unmerge first, set row/column sizes for entire involved rows and columns, then remerge.

What should I do when merged cells still look different after matching numbers?

Adjust the column width or row height by small increments until a visual match is achieved. Differences can arise because column width is measured in character units, and visual fonts or zoom level affect appearance.

Final practical checklist

1. Decide whether true merging is necessary.

2. Choose the merged cell that has the correct size.

3. Note Row Height and Column Width from the Home → Format menu.

4. Apply those numeric values to target rows and columns.

5. Reapply merging where required.

6. Test sorting/filtering to ensure workbook behavior is acceptable.