Overbars allow you to format special characters, such as "X-bar," which is commonly used to represent the mean or average of a series of numbers. Although, you can use Excel's Equation Editor to create complex equations, the results appear in a floating box, rather than inside an actual cell. Aside from the added complication in using this method, this makes referencing the text more difficult. A more user-friendly approach is to add an overbar to regular text using a unique combination of font types.
Step 1
Open Microsoft Excel and click the cell where you want the overbar letter to appear.
Video of the Day
Step 2
Click the font drop-down menu on the Home tab and select the "Symbol" font.
Step 3
Type a grave accent, which is usually located just above the Tab key on your keyboard.
Step 4
Click the font drop-down menu again and select the font you want to use for the letter.
Step 5
Type the letter you want formatted with an overbar and press "Enter." Excel automatically converts the two symbols into one overbar letter, such as "X" appearing with a line over it.
Video of the Day