Conditional formatting presets are pre-defined formatting rules in Excel that automatically change the appearance of a cell based on certain conditions. These presets offer a quick and easy way to highlight important information, identify trends, and make your spreadsheet more visually appealing.

Here's a breakdown of presets and customization:

Conditional Formatting Presets:

* Highlight Cells Rules: Focus on general comparisons like "Greater Than," "Less Than," "Between," "Equal To," "Text Contains," etc. These are useful for highlighting cells that meet specific criteria.
* Top/Bottom Rules: Identify the highest or lowest values within a dataset. Options include "Top 10 Items," "Top 10%," "Bottom 10 Items," "Bottom 10%," "Above Average," and "Below Average." These help you spot outliers or key data points.
* Data Bars: Color-coded bars within the cell that grow longer as the cell value increases. Great for visualizing trends or relative comparisons within a data set.
* Color Scales: Apply a color gradient to cells based on their values. Often used to represent a spectrum or range (e.g., low to high sales figures).
* Icon Sets: Display icons (arrows, stars, faces) to visually represent data. Useful for indicating performance levels, trends, or categories.

Customizing Conditional Formatting:

Although presets offer a good starting point, you can customize them further to fit your specific needs. Here's how:

1. Select the cells: Choose the range of cells where you want to apply conditional formatting.
2. Go to Conditional Formatting: Navigate to the "Home" tab and click on "Conditional Formatting" in the Styles group.
3. Choose a Preset: Select the desired preset category (e.g., Highlight Cells Rules, Top/Bottom Rules) and then pick a specific rule within that category.
4. Modify the Rule: A dialog box will appear with options to customize the formatting and conditions.
- Change formatting: Click the "Format" button to modify cell appearance (font color, fill color, borders, etc.) based on the rule.
- Adjust conditions: Edit the specific criteria for the rule to be triggered. For example, in a "Greater Than" rule, you can change the comparison value.
5. Apply the format: Once satisfied with the customizations, click "OK" to apply the conditional formatting rule to your selected cells.

By using presets and customizing them, you can create informative and visually engaging spreadsheets that make data analysis and interpretation easier.