How to Use Small Caps Font in Excel – Step by Step Guide

Small caps can give your text a clean and professional look, especially for headers, labels, and design-focused dashboards. While Microsoft Word includes a dedicated small caps formatting option, Excel does not provide a built-in button for small caps. However, you can create the appearance of small caps font in Excel using formulas, font adjustments, or VBA automation. This guide shows you several practical ways to achieve small caps in Excel for better-looking spreadsheets and reports.

Key Takeaways

• Excel does not offer a direct small caps button, unlike Microsoft Word.
• You can mimic small caps by combining upper case text and font size adjustments.
• Formulas can automate text conversion to all caps or a pseudo-small caps format.
• VBA macros can automate formatting or font changes for small caps styling.
• Power Query and helper columns allow for quick, scalable small caps transformations across large datasets.

Small Caps in Excel: What and Why?

The Definition of Small Caps

Small caps are a typographical style where lowercase letters resemble uppercase ones but are smaller and often a bit thicker. Unlike regular small letters, small caps maintain the vertical size of lowercase characters with the consistent shape and seriousness of uppercase. This stylistic choice can make text appear uniform and clean, enhancing the document’s visual appeal without overwhelming the reader with block capitals.

Importance in Professional Documents

Incorporating small caps in professional documents can significantly enhance readability and impart a sophisticated look. This styling is frequently employed in headings, subheadings, and references to provide clear typographical hierarchy without the starkness of full uppercase text. Small caps can also improve the flow of a document and help emphasize specific words or sections while maintaining an air of formality essential in business settings. For example, legal documents and annual reports often utilize small caps for emphasis and clarity.

How to Create Small Caps Font in Excel

Step 1: Manual Method with Font Sizes

Type your text (e.g., Small Caps Example).

Convert all text to uppercase (use the UPPER function or type manually).

Select the letters you want as “small caps” (typically the non-initial letters in each word).

Reduce their font size (e.g., set the first letter to 11pt, others to 8pt).

This requires text to be in an Excel text box or different cells, since Excel cannot format part of a cell directly (except with VBA).

Step 2: Using VBA for Small Caps Font Effect

This VBA macro formats the first letter of each word in a selection as uppercase and larger, and the rest as smaller (pseudo small caps). Works best on cells containing single words or short labels.

Sub ApplySmallCaps() Dim c As Range, i As Integer, txt As String For Each c In Selection txt = c.Value c.Value = UCase(txt) For i = 2 To Len(txt) c.Characters(i, 1).Font.Size = 8 Next i c.Characters(1, 1).Font.Size = 11 Next c End Sub

Select your data, then run the Macro.

You will get your small caps text quickly!

Common Mistakes and Tips

Mistake: Trying to apply small caps formatting in the Format Cells dialog
Excel does not include small caps in its font options.

Mistake: Attempting to format part of a cell using formulas
You can only change the entire cell’s format using formulas. To style part of a cell, use VBA or split your data across columns.

Tip: Use text boxes for headers and combine font size formatting for visual small caps

Tip: Combine ALL CAPS with a lighter font weight or font color for a modern look

Tip: Choose a font that looks good in all uppercase (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Segoe UI)

Bonus Tips and Advanced Scenarios

Automate across large ranges
Use the VBA macro above to convert many cells at once.

Custom fonts with native small caps
Some third-party fonts include true small caps. You can install these and use in Excel if desired, but formatting control remains limited.

Power Query + Excel Tables
Transform all incoming data to upper case for reporting consistency.

Best Practices for Consistent Formatting

Ensuring Readability Across Devices

To ensure your document remains readable across various devices, consider several important factors. First, choose a font that supports small caps naturally; many modern typefaces do, providing better quality and legibility than artificially scaled versions. It’s essential to maintain sufficient contrast between the text and background to accommodate different screen resolutions and lighting conditions. Testing your document’s appearance on various devices, such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones, will help identify any readability issues before distribution. Additionally, using responsive design techniques can ensure that formatting, including small caps, adapts seamlessly regardless of the device.

Maintaining Document Professionalism

Maintaining document professionalism involves strategic use of small caps to enhance the text’s aesthetic and functional attributes. To achieve this, ensure consistency by applying small caps judiciously across similar elements, such as all subheadings or key terms, to maintain a uniform appearance. Balance the use of small caps with other text styles like bold or italic to guide the reader’s eye smoothly through the document. Avoid overusing this style, as it can detract from its intended emphasis and reduce the document’s impact. Pair small caps with a clear and professional layout, maintaining ample spacing and alignment to aid readability. Lastly, adhere to any style guides specific to your field or organization to uphold industry standards and ensure your document’s professionalism is instantly recognizable.

FAQ

Q: Does Excel have a true small caps font option?
A: No, Excel does not include small caps formatting natively. You need to mimic it using uppercase and font sizes.

Q: Can I use formulas to format only part of a cell?
A: No, formulas affect the entire cell. Use VBA or split data into multiple columns for partial formatting.

Q: Will this work on both Windows and Mac versions of Excel?
A: Yes, the techniques (formulas, Power Query, and VBA) are available in both versions, with minor differences in VBA access.

Q: Are there any fonts in Excel that provide small caps automatically?
A: Not by default. Some designer fonts may offer small caps, but they are not standard in Excel.

Q: Can I automate this for a whole column of data?
A: Yes, use the VBA macro to process multiple cells at once.