# Excel Selection shading color



## cb73000 (Apr 8, 2004)

The current color when I highlight or select cells in excel is that light blue-greyish color. Where can I change my settings such that I can change that highlight color?


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## swaters (Jul 21, 2003)

Are you talking about highlighting of the Column Letter and Row Number? (ex. C3) If so, that is Microsoft coded, you can't change that. The only way I imagine that might change is if you right click on the desktop, and click on properties. Then select the Appearance tab. Then select the color scheme you want. (NOTE: this will change all your windows coloring schemes) The highlighted color in those control rows and columns is never printed anyway so except for being painful to the eye, it shouldn't cause much inconvenience. If you're talking about giving a specific cell a background color, click on the View menu, then Toolbars, and make sure Formatting is checked off. That will bring up a button with a paint can on it. If you click on the down arrow, you will be able to select your fill color. Once you have the color selected, select your cell and click the button.


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## cb73000 (Apr 8, 2004)

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear about my issue. I wasn't talking about the fill color of the cells. I'm refering to say if I were to click and drag from cell A1 to cell D5, those cells are now highlighted. The highlight color is what I'm looking to change. 

To change this highlight color, Start|Settings|Control Panel|Display|Apperance Tab

Change the "Item" dropdown to "Selected Items" and then choose your color. Note that ALL selection/highlight/focus colors will all be that new color you select, not just in excel...


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## helsy_x (Apr 23, 2008)

I have noticed the problem with extremely light shading in xp-excel. It makes things especially difficult when selecting multiple, remote cells or text using the 'ctrl' function, as you cannot see which section has been highlighted or not (note, many people do not understand the nature of the problem as when selecting one cell/group of cells there is a box around the selection, making it easier to visualise, however in selecting many cells, there are no boxes to assist). 

I attempted the control panel tip suggested above, however, whilst all other selected itmes in windows, such as desktop items and text in 'word', display the new colour, the colour in excel remains the same. I am guessing it is thus a feature just of excel (especially as the offending colour was only found in excel and not any other programs). 

any other tips?


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## The Villan (Feb 20, 2006)

You can alter the Normal style to give you a different coloured background, which will then alter the selection colour.

Format, Style, Normal, Modify. 

There you can make font changes, background shading, border lines around cells etc.

Give that a try and see if you like that way. You can always go back and modify back to what it was.


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