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excelisfun - Excel Formula to Increment Numbers: 1-6, 7-12, 13-18 for Raffle Ticket - Excel Magic Trick 1585

Thumbnail of the video “excelisfun - Excel Formula to Increment Numbers: 1-6, 7-12, 13-18 for Raffle Ticket - Excel Magic Trick 1585”
Community upload. AI output has not been independently verified.
Author: excelisfun
Categories: Technology
Tags: technology
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 00:54 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: To generate incrementing raffle ticket ranges in Excel, use the ROWS function with an expandable range (for example, ROWS($A$1:A1)), then multiply by the increment of 6, subtract 1 to start at zero, and build each text range ("1-6", "7-12", etc.) by concatenating the lower and upper limits. The formula is copied down until the ranges reach the upper limit of 1500.

Key Points

  • ROWS($A$1:A1) counts rows and keeps working even if rows are inserted, unlike the ROW(A1) approach, which can break when the sheet structure changes.
  • Multiplying the row count by 6 produces 6, 12, 18, and so on, which become the upper limits of each raffle range.
  • Subtracting 1 from the row count and then adding 1 after multiplying produces the correct starting positions (1, 7, 13).
  • Concatenating the results with an ampersand and a dash in double quotes creates the labels in the form "1-6", "7-12", "13-18".
  • The number of rows needed equals the upper limit (1500) divided by the increment (6), which is 250, and since the first formula occupies row 1, the fill must extend down to row 251.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions:
    1. Lock the column reference and expand the row range by entering ROWS($A$1:A1) in the first cell, then copy it down so it becomes ROWS($A$1:A2), ROWS($A$1:A3), and so on.
    2. Use the same approach with the multiplier: take the ROWS portion, multiply it by 6 (locking the 6 with F4 as an absolute reference), and fill it down.
    3. Edit the formula so the ROWS portion is in parentheses and subtract 1, so the first row gives 0; fill this down through the range.
    4. Add 1 to the result to get the correct starting value (1, 7, 13, and so on).
    5. Build the text label by appending & "-" & the upper-limit calculation (the multiplied value), so each cell reads like "1-6".
    6. To fill to the bottom of the required range, select the top formula cell, jump to A251 with the Name Box, press Shift+Enter to select back to the top, then use Ctrl+D to fill down to row 251.
  • For sideways copying, use COLUMNS instead of ROWS.
  • The video notes that a separate video covers other number-incrementing formulas, and the next Excel Magic Trick shows the same task with dynamic arrays.

Bottom Line

The core idea is that ROWS-based expandable ranges provide a robust counter that can be scaled and offset to generate raffle ticket ranges of any increment, and the approach stays correct even when the sheet is restructured.