How to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful (6 Simple Tricks)

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When you work on multiple datasets with various information, you may find it difficult to present them in the default format. Because this bulk of worksheets will create nothing but confusion, especially during a presentation. This is why we need to make Excel spreadsheets colorful to define certain information. In this article, we will learn how to make an Excel spreadsheet colorful with 6 simple techniques.


How to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful: 6 Simple Tricks

For example, we have a dataset here representing the grade sheet with the progress of 5 students.

How to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

Now we will use the 6 techniques below to make this Excel spreadsheet colorful:


1. Use the Fill Color Tool to Make a Colorful Spreadsheet in Excel

In this first technique, we will use the Fill Color tool in Excel to make a colorful spreadsheet. Follow the steps below:

  • First, select the cells that you want to color.
  • Here, we have selected the header cell range B4:E4.

Use Fill Color Tool to Make Colorful Spreadsheet in Excel

  • Following, go to the Home tab and click on the Fill Color icon in the Font section.

Use Fill Color Tool to Make Colorful Spreadsheet in Excel

  • Then, select any color from its drop-down section.

How to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Otherwise, select More Colors for more coloring options.

Use Fill Color Tool to Make Colorful Spreadsheet in Excel

  • Now, choose any customized color from the Color window.

  • Finally, our header cells are colorful. We have also colored other cells where it was necessary to follow the same process.

  • You can also change the color of any font by choosing a color from the Font Color section.


2. Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

Conditional Formatting helps to make the Excel spreadsheet colorful based on certain conditions (i.e. values, numbers). It represents the spreadsheet in a more specific way to look into certain outputs. Let’s see how it works.

  • First, select cell range E5:E9.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Secondly, select Conditional Formatting from the Home tab.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • After that, choose the condition Greater Than from the Highlight Cells Rules options.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Following, the Greater Than window opens.
  • Here, insert cell E9 as the condition the cells’ value of more than 67% will be highlighted.
  • Then, press OK.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • That’s it, you can see that the cells greater than the value of cell E9 are highlighted.

  • You can also apply other conditions from the Conditional Formatting drop-down section.

  • In case you need to edit the applied condition, go to Manage Rules.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Thereafter, a new window Conditional Formatting Rules Manager pops up.
  • Now, click on Edit Rule.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Here in the Edit Formatting Rule, select the rule type as Format only cells that contain.
  • In the Edit the Rule Description box, change the conditions that you may like. Our one is marked in the below image.
  • Next, press OK.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Make Excel Spreadsheet Colorful

  • After this, click on Apply and then press OK.

  • Finally, you can see the cells are highlighted according to the new condition.

Read More: How to Make Picture Background Transparent in Excel


3. Make Colorful Spreadsheet with Format as Table Tool

Another technique to make the spreadsheet colorful is with the Format as Table tool in Excel. Following is the process for this:

  • In the beginning, select Format as Table from the Home tab.

Make Colorful Spreadsheet with Format as Table Tool

  • Following, select any style of the table from the drop-down section.

Make Colorful Spreadsheet with Format as Table Tool

  • Now, insert cell range B4:B9 in the Create Table window.

Make Colorful Spreadsheet with Format as Table Tool

  • Finally, the spreadsheet is made colorful with the help of the Format as Table tool.

Make Colorful Spreadsheet with Format as Table Tool

  • In case you need to customize the table, go to the New Table Style.

  • Now, format the table elements however you want in the New Table Style window.
  • In the end, press OK.


4. Apply Themes to Make Spreadsheet Colorful

In this technique, we will apply Themes to make the spreadsheet colorful by following the steps below:

  • First, select Themes from the Page Layout tab.

Apply Themes to Make Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Secondly, select any of the theme styles from the dropdown.

Apply Themes to Make Spreadsheet Colorful

  • After this, choose a color palette from the Colors option in the Themes section.

Apply Themes to Make Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Otherwise, click on Customize Colors from the drop-down.

Apply Themes to Make Spreadsheet Colorful

  • Then, for each theme color you want to change, click the button next to that color, and pick a color under Theme Colors in the Create New Theme Colors window.

  • In addition to that, you can customize colors from the More Colors options.

  • In case you want to change the lettering and animation style of the spreadsheet, explore the Fonts and Effects tools.

  • To save your preferred theme, click on Save Current Theme.

Apply Themes to Make Spreadsheet Colorful

  • After that, insert the File name and press Save.


5. Modify the Worksheet Tab Color in Excel

So far we have only discussed making the rows and columns colorful. Now we will color the worksheet tabs in Excel. Let’s see the step-by-step process below:

  • First, right-click on any of the worksheet tabs and choose Tab Color.

Modify Worksheet Tab Color in Excel

  • Then, choose any of the Theme Colors from the options.

Modify Worksheet Tab Color in Excel

  • To customize colors, go to More Colors.

  • Finally, you can see the worksheet tabs are now colorful.

Modify Worksheet Tab Color in Excel

  • To remove the worksheet tab color, do the same procedure. Just in this case, select the No Color option from the Theme Colors.

  • On the other hand, you can find the same feature in the Excel ribbon.
  • Here, select Format in the Cells section of the Home tab.

Modify Worksheet Tab Color in Excel

  • Then, click on Tab Color.

Modify Worksheet Tab Color in Excel

  • Finally, you can see similar coloring options in this section.

Read More: How to Make Excel Look Pretty


6. Change the Gridline Color in the Spreadsheet

In this last technique, we will color the gridlines in the spreadsheet. Let’s see the method below:

  • In the beginning, go to File from the Excel ribbon.

Change Gridline Color in Spreadsheet

  • Then, select Options from the left panel.

Change Gridline Color in Spreadsheet

  • Now, select Advanced from the new Excel Options window.
  • After that, go to Display options for this worksheet section.
  • Select any color from the Gridline Color section.
  • Next, press OK.

Change Gridline Color in Spreadsheet

  • Therefore, the spreadsheet will look like this:

Here is another way to color the gridlines:

  • First, select the whole spreadsheet by pressing Ctrl + A or clicking on the triangle as shown below:

Change Gridline Color in Spreadsheet

  • Then, choose the More Borders icon in the Font section of the Home tab.

Change Gridline Color in Spreadsheet

  • After that, select Line Color and choose any color from the Theme Colors.

Change Gridline Color in Spreadsheet

  • Now, select All Borders from the same drop-down section.

Change Gridline Color in Spreadsheet

  • Finally, the gridlines are colored here in the Excel spreadsheet.

  • You can modify the line thickness from the Line Style.

  • To format the gridlines, go to More Borders.

  • Here, in this Format Cells window, customize the gridlines however you want.

Note: It is a good practice to save a colored grid line blank spreadsheet as an Excel Template to use in the future because it only colors a single worksheet at a time.

Download Workbook

Get the sample file here to practice by yourself.


Conclusion

I concluded the article with the hope that it was helpful for you on how to make the Excel spreadsheet colorful with 6 simple techniques. Let us know your suggestions in the comments section.


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Sanjida Mehrun Guria
Sanjida Mehrun Guria

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I have completed my Bachelor in Architecture from Ashanullah University of Science & Technology, Dhaka. I am a passionate, goal-oriented person with an immense thirst for knowledge and an attitude to grow continuously. Besides Architectural work, I find it very enthusiastic to work in Excel blogging. Exceldemy is a platform where I have got the opportunity to flourish my skill in Microsoft Excel and therefore, here I will be posting blogs related to... Read Full Bio

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