Tools>Options>View, uncheck "Row and column headers".
You can insert a row and a column with your own names, but they will not be
recognized in formulas the same way as "A1". But you can define row and
column names and use the intersection as an address in a formula. The
intersection operator is a space. So if you defined the name "Material" for
column A and "Coat" for row 4, you can use "Material Coat" (without the
quotes) as an address in a formula instead of "A4".
To make it look more like real row and column headers, select cell B2,
Windows>Freeze panes.
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Kind Regards,
Niek Otten
Microsoft MVP - Excel