How To Get Rid Of Non Printable Characters In Excel

What Are Non Printable Characters?

If you work with Excel regularly, you might have come across non printable characters in your data. These characters can cause problems when trying to manipulate or analyze your data. In this article, we will explore how to get rid of non printable characters in Excel. Non printable characters are characters that are not visible on the screen, but they can still affect how your data is processed. They can be introduced into your data through various means, such as copying and pasting from other sources or using formulas that generate these characters.

Non printable characters can be a nuisance, especially when you are trying to clean and prepare your data for analysis. They can cause errors in formulas, make it difficult to sort and filter data, and even prevent you from saving your file in certain formats. Fortunately, there are ways to remove non printable characters from your Excel data. In the next section, we will explore the methods you can use to get rid of these characters.

Methods To Remove Non Printable Characters

What Are Non Printable Characters? Non printable characters are characters that have an ASCII value between 0 and 31, or 127. They include characters such as null, tab, line feed, and carriage return. These characters are not visible on the screen, but they can still be present in your data. They can be introduced into your data through various means, such as copying and pasting from other sources or using formulas that generate these characters.

Methods To Remove Non Printable Characters There are several methods you can use to remove non printable characters from your Excel data. One method is to use the CLEAN function, which removes all non printable characters from a text string. Another method is to use the SUBSTITUTE function, which replaces specific characters with other characters. You can also use the TRIM function to remove spaces and other non printable characters from the beginning and end of a text string. By using these methods, you can easily remove non printable characters from your Excel data and improve its quality.