Ampler cycles a cell’s font colour through your company’s standard colours — for example the modelling convention of one colour for inputs, another for formulas.
Quick answer: Select the cells and click Cycle cell style (Ctrl+Shift+F) on the Ampler ribbon; click again to cycle to the next standard colour.
How to use it
Select the cells, then cycle the font colour.
- Select the cells you wish to format.
- Click Cycle cell style (Ctrl+Shift+F), and click again to cycle to the next colour.
The formats it cycles through are the ones defined under Settings → Cycles, so you can set them to your company standards.
Keyboard shortcut
Cycle cell style is Ctrl+Shift+F by default; reassign it in the Ampler Settings → Shortcuts.
Why use it
Modellers use font colour to show what a cell is — an input, a piece of data, a formula. Picking those colours from the full palette each time is slow and inconsistent. Ampler cycles through the standard colours in a keystroke.
How consultants use it
Colour-coding a model by cell type is a core modelling convention, and it must be applied consistently. Three habits apply:
- Colour by cell type: inputs, data, and formulas each carry their standard colour
- A recognised convention: readers know at a glance what a cell is
- Consistent across the model: the colours come from the defined cycle, not ad-hoc picks
Cycling font colours keeps a model’s colour convention consistent.
Tips & best practices
- Colour inputs, data, and formulas by convention.
- Use Ctrl+Shift+F to cycle as you build.
- Define the colours under Settings → Cycles.
Availability
Included in Ampler for Excel and the Ampler Suite, on Windows desktop Excel.
Frequently asked questions
How do you colour-code inputs and formulas in Excel?
Select the cells and click Cycle cell style (Ctrl+Shift+F) on the Ampler ribbon to cycle the font colour through your standard colours for inputs, data, and formulas.
What is the shortcut to cycle font colour?
Ctrl+Shift+F by default, reassignable in Ampler’s Settings.
Can you auto-apply the whole convention at once?
Yes — see Auto-colour a sheet to company standards, which colours a whole selection by cell type.