diff --git a/lib/elixlsx/compiler.ex b/lib/elixlsx/compiler.ex
index 397059b..f523b47 100644
--- a/lib/elixlsx/compiler.ex
+++ b/lib/elixlsx/compiler.ex
@@ -52,6 +52,21 @@ defmodule Elixlsx.Compiler do
     end
   end
 
+  def compinfo_col_pass_style(wci, %{width: w} = props) when props == %{width: w}, do: wci
+  
+  def compinfo_col_pass_style wci, props do
+    update_in wci.cellstyledb,
+            &CellStyleDB.register_style(&1,
+                                        Elixlsx.Style.CellStyle.from_props(props))
+  end
+
+  @spec compinfo_from_cols(WorkbookCompInfo.t, list(list(any()))) :: WorkbookCompInfo.t
+  def compinfo_from_cols wci, cols do
+    Enum.sort(cols)
+    |> List.foldl(wci, fn ({_, props}, wci) ->
+      compinfo_col_pass_style(wci, props)
+    end)
+  end
 
   @spec compinfo_from_rows(WorkbookCompInfo.t, list(list(any()))) :: WorkbookCompInfo.t
   def compinfo_from_rows wci, rows do
@@ -65,7 +80,9 @@ defmodule Elixlsx.Compiler do
   @spec compinfo_from_sheets(WorkbookCompInfo.t, list(Sheet.t)) :: WorkbookCompInfo.t
   def compinfo_from_sheets wci, sheets do
     List.foldl sheets, wci, fn (sheet, wci) ->
-      compinfo_from_rows wci, sheet.rows
+      wci
+      |> compinfo_from_rows(sheet.rows)
+      |> compinfo_from_cols(sheet.cols)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/elixlsx/sheet.ex b/lib/elixlsx/sheet.ex
index f0b265b..1a683ea 100644
--- a/lib/elixlsx/sheet.ex
+++ b/lib/elixlsx/sheet.ex
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ defmodule Elixlsx.Sheet do
   The property list describes formatting options for that
   cell. See Font.from_props/1 for a list of options.
   """
-  defstruct name: "", rows: [], col_widths: %{}, row_heights: %{}, merge_cells: [], pane_freeze: nil, show_grid_lines: true
+  defstruct name: "", rows: [], cols: %{}, row_heights: %{}, merge_cells: [], pane_freeze: nil, show_grid_lines: true
   @type t :: %Sheet {
     name: String.t,
     rows: list(list(any())),
-    col_widths: %{pos_integer => number},
+    cols: %{pos_integer => map},
     row_heights: %{pos_integer => number},
     merge_cells: [],
     pane_freeze: {number, number} | nil,
@@ -121,14 +121,35 @@ defmodule Elixlsx.Sheet do
     end
   end
 
+  @spec set_col(Sheet.t, String.t, Keyword.t) :: Sheet.t
+  @doc ~S"""
+  Set various attributes for a given column. Column is indexed by 
+  name ("A", ...)
+  """
+  def set_col(sheet, column, [{k, v}]) do
+    index = Util.decode_col(column)
+    cols = Map.update(sheet.cols, index, %{k => v}, (&Map.put &1, k, v))
+    Map.put(sheet, :cols, cols)
+  end
+
+  def set_col(sheet, column, opts) do
+    index = Util.decode_col(column)
+
+    cols =
+      Enum.reduce(opts, sheet.cols, fn {k, v}, acc ->
+        Map.update(acc, index, %{k => v}, &Map.put(&1, k, v))
+      end)
+
+    Map.put(sheet, :cols, cols)
+  end
+  
   @spec set_col_width(Sheet.t, String.t, number) :: Sheet.t
   @doc ~S"""
   Set the column width for a given column. Column is indexed by
   name ("A", ...)
   """
   def set_col_width(sheet, column, width) do
-    update_in sheet.col_widths,
-              &(Map.put &1, Util.decode_col(column), width)
+    set_col(sheet, column, width: width)
   end
 
   @spec set_row_height(Sheet.t, number, number) :: Sheet.t
diff --git a/lib/elixlsx/xml_templates.ex b/lib/elixlsx/xml_templates.ex
index 79c59eb..7156566 100644
--- a/lib/elixlsx/xml_templates.ex
+++ b/lib/elixlsx/xml_templates.ex
@@ -272,20 +272,44 @@ defmodule Elixlsx.XMLTemplates do
     end
   end
 
-  defp make_col_width({k, v}) do
-    '<col min="#{k}" max="#{k}" width="#{v}" customWidth="1" />'
-  end
-
-  defp make_col_widths(sheet) do
-    if Kernel.map_size(sheet.col_widths) != 0 do
-      cols = Map.to_list(sheet.col_widths)
-      |> Enum.sort
-      |> Enum.map_join(&make_col_width/1)
-
-      "<cols>#{cols}</cols>"
-    else
-      ""
-    end
+  defp make_col_range(key) do
+    key_str = Integer.to_string(key)
+    [" min=\"", key_str, "\" max=\"", key_str, "\""]
+  end
+
+  defp make_col_style(props, _) when props == %{}, do: []
+  defp make_col_style(%{width: w} = props, _) when props == %{width: w}, do: []
+  defp make_col_style(props, wci) do
+    style_id = CellStyleDB.get_id(wci.cellstyledb, CellStyle.from_props(props))
+    [" style=\"", Integer.to_string(style_id), "\""]
+  end
+  
+  defp make_col_width(%{width: width}) when is_integer(width) do
+    [" width=\"", Integer.to_string(width), "\" customWidth=\"1\""]
+  end
+  defp make_col_width(%{width: width}) when is_float(width) do
+    [" width=\"", Float.to_string(width), "\" customWidth=\"1\""]
+  end
+  defp make_col_width(_), do: []
+
+  defp make_cols(%{cols: cols}, _) when cols == %{}, do: ""
+  defp make_cols(%{cols: cols}, wci) do
+    [
+      "<cols>",
+      Map.to_list(cols)
+      |> Enum.sort()
+      |> Enum.map(fn {key, props} -> [
+        "<col",
+        make_col_range(key),
+        make_col_width(props),
+        make_col_style(props, wci),
+        "/>"
+      ]
+      end),
+      "</cols>"
+    ]
+    # remove to output as iolist instead of string
+    |> Enum.join()
   end
 
   @spec make_sheet(Sheet.t, WorkbookCompInfo.t) :: String.t
@@ -313,7 +337,7 @@ defmodule Elixlsx.XMLTemplates do
     </sheetViews>
     <sheetFormatPr defaultRowHeight="12.8"/>
     """
-    <> make_col_widths(sheet) <>
+    <> make_cols(sheet, wci) <>
     """
     <sheetData>
     """
diff --git a/test/sheet_test.exs b/test/sheet_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..010278f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sheet_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+defmodule Elixlsx.SheetTest do
+  use ExUnit.Case, async: false
+  use ExCheck
+  
+  alias Elixlsx.Sheet
+  
+  property :sheet_name do
+    for_all x in binary() do
+      Sheet.with_name(x).name == x
+    end
+  end
+  
+  property :sheet_cols do
+    for_all x in choose(65,90) do
+      sheet = 
+      %Sheet{}
+      |> Sheet.set_col_width(<<x>>, 10)
+      |> Sheet.set_col(<<x>>, bg_color: "#FFFF00", num_format: "mmm-yyyy")
+      sheet.cols[x - 64] == %{bg_color: "#FFFF00", num_format: "mmm-yyyy", width: 10}
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/xml_templates_test.exs b/test/xml_templates_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b123ea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/xml_templates_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+defmodule Elixlsx.XMLTemplatesTest do
+  use ExUnit.Case
+
+  alias Elixlsx.{Compiler, Compiler.WorkbookCompInfo, Sheet, Workbook, XMLTemplates}
+
+  describe("make_sheet") do
+    setup do
+      [sheet: Sheet.with_name("Sheet1"), wci: %WorkbookCompInfo{}, workbook: %Workbook{}]
+    end
+
+    test "with default values", %{sheet: sheet, wci: wci} do
+      assert XMLTemplates.make_sheet(sheet, wci) =~ "</worksheet>"
+    end
+
+    test "with column attrs set", %{sheet: sheet, workbook: workbook} do
+      sheet = sheet
+      |> Sheet.set_col_width("A", 10)
+      |> Sheet.set_col("B", bg_color: "#FFFF00", num_format: "mmm-yyyy", width: 12)
+      wci = Compiler.make_workbook_comp_info(Workbook.insert_sheet(workbook, sheet))
+      xml = XMLTemplates.make_sheet(sheet, wci)
+      assert xml =~ "<col min=\"1\" max=\"1\" width=\"10\" customWidth=\"1\"/>"
+      assert xml =~ "<col min=\"2\" max=\"2\" width=\"12\" customWidth=\"1\" style=\"1\"/>"
+    end
+  end
+end