How do you apply or remove cell shading to excel cells

1 answer

Applying or removing cell shading (also known as fill color) in Excel is a straightforward process. Here’s how you can do it:

Applying Cell Shading:

  1. Open Excel and Select Cells:

    • Open your Excel workbook.
    • Click and drag to select the cell(s) you want to shade.
  2. Navigate to the Home Tab:

    • On the Ribbon at the top of Excel, click on the Home tab.
  3. Select Fill Color:

    • Look for the Font group (usually on the left side of the Home tab).
    • Click on the Fill Color button, which looks like a paint bucket.
    • A dropdown menu will appear with fill color options.
  4. Choose a Color:

    • Click on the color you wish to apply to the selected cells. If you don’t see the color you want, click on More Colors to access a wider range of colors.

Removing Cell Shading:

  1. Select the Cells:

    • Click and drag to select the cells that currently have shading that you want to remove.
  2. Go to the Home Tab:

    • Click on the Home tab in the Ribbon.
  3. Open Fill Color Options:

    • Click on the Fill Color button (the paint bucket icon).
  4. Select No Fill:

    • In the dropdown menu, choose No Fill. This will remove any shading from the selected cells.

Keyboard Shortcut:

You can also use a keyboard shortcut to quickly apply or remove cell shading:

  • To apply shading, press Alt + H, then press H again to open the Fill Color menu. Use the arrow keys to select a color and press Enter.
  • To remove shading, select the cells and then press the same combination, but choose No Fill instead.

Additional Notes:

  • If you want to apply cell shading to an entire row or column, click the row number or column letter to select it.
  • You can use the Format Cells dialog (accessible by right-clicking the selected cells and choosing "Format Cells") for more advanced formatting options, though for simple fill colors, the steps above are sufficient.

This should help you shade cells in Excel according to your needs!