Skill Formatting Rules
Standard formatting conventions for Excel models generated by Excelor skills.
Color Palette
Header Colors
| Element | Fill Color | Font Color | Example |
|---|
| Title | Navy #203864 | White | Model headers |
| Section Headers | Blue #4472C4 | White | "ASSUMPTIONS", "REVENUE" |
| Sub-headers | Light Blue #D6DCE5 | Black | Sub-sections |
Text Colors
| Element | Color | Purpose |
|---|
| Inputs/Hardcodes | Blue #0000FF | User-editable values |
| Calculations | Black #000000 | Formula results |
| Cross-sheet Links | Green #008000 | References to other sheets |
| Historical Data | Blue #0070C0 | Actual/reported figures |
| Projected Data | Black #000000 | Forecasted figures |
Highlight Colors
| Element | Fill Color | Purpose |
|---|
| Key Outputs | Yellow #FFF2CC | IRR, share price, totals |
| Balance Check | Green #C6EFCE | When Sources = Uses |
| Error/Warning | Red #FFC7CE | Validation failures |
Number Formats
| Data Type | Format | Example |
|---|
| Currency ($M) | "$#,##0.0" | $1,234.5 |
| Currency (detailed) | "$#,##0;($#,##0)" | $1,234 or ($1,234) |
| Percentages | "0.0%" | 25.0% |
| Multiples | "0.0x" | 10.0x |
| Dates | "MM/DD/YYYY" | 01/26/2026 |
| Years | "0" | 2025 |
| Shares (Millions) | "#,##0.0" | 15,800.0 |
| Basis Points | "0 bps" | 400 bps |
Font Styles
| Element | Style |
|---|
| Titles | Bold, 14pt |
| Section Headers | Bold, 11pt |
| Row Labels | Regular, 11pt |
| Percentage Rows | Italic, Gray #78716C |
| Totals | Bold |
| Key Outputs | Bold, Double-line Border |
Alignment
| Content Type | Horizontal | Vertical |
|---|
| Text/Labels | Left | Center |
| Numbers | Right | Center |
| Dates | Center | Center |
| Headers | Center | Center |
| Percentages | Right | Center |
Borders
| Element | Border Style |
|---|
| Section Separators | Bottom border (thin) |
| Totals | Top border (thin) |
| Key Outputs | Double-line bottom border |
| Tables | Outline + gridlines |
| Sensitivity Tables | Full grid |
Row Spacing Conventions
Row Structure Example:
Row 2: [TITLE] ← Bold, Navy fill
Row 3: (blank)
Row 4: SECTION HEADER ← Bold, Blue fill
Row 5: Line Item 1
Row 6: Line Item 2
Row 7: % Margin ← Italic, gray
Row 8: (blank)
Row 9: NEXT SECTION
Guidelines:
- 1 blank row after title
- 1 blank row between sections
- Percentage/margin rows immediately follow their parent line item
- Totals preceded by blank row in long lists
Column Layout
Standard column structure for financial models:
Column A: Row labels (width ~35-40)
Column B: Units or descriptions (width ~15)
Column C: First data column (width ~12-15)
Columns D+: Additional periods (width ~12-15)
Historical vs. Projected
Columns B-F: Historical (5 years: FY20A, FY21A, FY22A, FY23A, FY24A)
Columns G-K: Projected (5 years: FY25E, FY26E, FY27E, FY28E, FY29E)
Historical columns may use:
- "A" suffix (Actual)
- Blue text color
- Different background shade
Projected columns may use:
- "E" suffix (Estimate)
- Black text color
- No special background
Conditional Formatting Rules
| Condition | Format |
|---|
| Balance Check = 0 | Green fill |
| Balance Check ≠ 0 | Red fill |
| IRR > 20% | Green text |
| IRR < 15% | Red text |
| P/NAV > 1.0 | Premium (Green) |
| P/NAV < 1.0 | Discount (Red) |
Sensitivity Table Formatting
← Column Headers →
8.0x 9.0x 10.0x 11.0x 12.0x
Row ↓
7.0% XX% XX% XX% XX% XX%
7.5% XX% XX% XX% XX% XX%
8.0% XX% XX% XX% XX% XX% ← Base case (yellow)
8.5% XX% XX% XX% XX% XX%
9.0% XX% XX% XX% XX% XX%
- Column headers: Bold, centered
- Row headers: Bold, left-aligned
- Data cells: Right-aligned
- Base case: Yellow fill
#FFF2CC
- Optional: Gradient coloring (green = high returns, red = low)
Quick Reference Table
| Element | Fill | Font | Border |
|---|
| Title | #203864 | White Bold | None |
| Section | #4472C4 | White Bold | None |
| Input | None | Blue #0000FF | None |
| Formula | None | Black | None |
| Link | None | Green #008000 | None |
| Output | #FFF2CC | Bold | Double Bottom |
| Total | None | Bold | Top Thin |
| Error | #FFC7CE | Red | None |