A tour of the File tab

A tour of the File tab

In this lesson, we're going to take a tour of the File tab. The File tab is also sometimes referred to as "backstage". Unlike the main stage where you do your work, the File tab is a place to go for tasks that don't involve working on your data—for example, sharing files, printing, and changing Excel settings.

Let's take a look.

The first thing to notice about the File tab is that, unlike other ribbon tabs, you aren't able to see the worksheet when you're on the File tab.

That's because the File tab is meant for tasks and information that live behind the scenes, in the backstage area.

At the top left, we have common file operations, including Save, Save As, Open, and Close.

Next is the Info pane. The Info pane gives you access to workbook Permissions, Tools for preparing the workbook for sharing, and a way to get to previous versions of the file saved with Autosave. On the left side of the Info pane is file property information. This includes the date the file was created and last modified, as well as author information.

The Recent pane gives you access to recently opened workbooks and recently used folders. We cover the Recent pane in detail in an upcoming lesson.

The New pane allows you to create new workbooks. This can be a new blank workbook, or a new workbook using a template on your computer. Or, you can create a new workbook using one of the many Office.com templates.

The Print pane allows you to select a printer, and gives you access to the most commonly used settings for printing. It also shows a large print preview area which makes it easy to see if current settings are correct.

The Save and Send pane gives you options for sharing your workbook. You can email your workbook in several different ways, including as an attachment, as an email with a link, as a PDF or XPS document, or, as an internet fax.

You can also save the file to OneDrive, change the File Type, and create a PDF or XPS document.

The Help pane gives you access to help resources and Microsoft contact information.

Finally, the Options command opens Excel's vast set of options in a separate window. We'll explore Excel options in a future lesson.