Copying a Formula

**barbercabinet58** · 11-21-2012, 01:21 PM

I am implementing a new inventory system at my company and I am trying to create barcodes lables for each item we have in stock. On the attached file on the first tab I have created a lable for my first item using information from the second tab. My question: is there a way to copy the contents of cells A1, A2, and A3 on the first tab and paste them in A5, A6, and A7 and stilll have the formulas capture the information in row 2 of the second tab? When I copy cells A1, A3, and A3 into A5, A6, and A7 it changes the formula so the information is pulled from row 5 instead.

**jmulqueen** · 11-21-2012, 01:45 PM

I think you mean that you want to use Paste Special. Instead of simply pasting the data, right click and select values under the paste special options. Not sure if this is what you mean

**barbercabinet58** · 11-21-2012, 01:54 PM

Thanks for the reply. Paste special will not work for this. I want to keep the formula so I don't have to manually create over 300 unique lables. I would like to be able to copy the formulas in A1, A2, and A3 down and create new lables for each item on the second tab but when I paste the formula it pastes every 4th item on my list. Hope that makes more sense.

**jmulqueen** · 11-21-2012, 02:10 PM

OK I see what you want. Best thing IMO would be to

1) Copy everything Columns A and B from the inventory tab
2) Paste Special -> Transpose into say A2 on an empty Barcode Tab
3) Paste ="*"&A2&"*" in A1 on the Barcode Tab and copy across
4) Select Row 1 and Format as you had.

Of course this has your labels going horizontally, not sure if that is a big problem for you.

**jmulqueen** · 11-21-2012, 02:23 PM

Actually, I didn't give Excel enough credit. If you highlight the 3 rows you have on the barcode tab, and drag the bottom corner down, it can detect your pattern.