Color Your Cells in Google Sheets like a Pro!

Welcome to this article where I’m going to show you how to effectively and attractively color your cells in Google Sheets. Whether it’s highlighting key numbers, grabbing readers’ attention, or differentiating cells with different formulas, knowing how to use this coloring feature in Google Sheets is important.

Why Change Cell Colors in Google Sheets?

There are several common reasons why you might want to change the color of cells in Google Sheets:

• Highlight important information: Changing cell colors can draw attention to important data or key performance indicators. For example, you can make cells with low sales numbers red to indicate that they require immediate attention.

• Organize data: Color coding cells based on specific categories or criteria can help you better organize and analyze your data. For instance, you can use different colors for different product lines or sales regions.

• Enhance visual appeal: Sometimes, changing cell colors is simply a matter of making the spreadsheet more visually appealing. By using colors strategically, you can make the data more engaging and easier to read.

How to Fill a Cell with Color in Google Sheets?

Filling cells with color in Google Sheets is super simple. Here’s how you do it:

1. Select the cell or range of cells you want to color.

2. Look for and click on the “Fill Color” icon in the toolbar.

3. Choose the color you want to use from the predefined colors.

And what if you can’t find the color you want to apply in the list of predefined colors? Don’t worry! You can find your favorite color by following these steps:

1. Click on “CUSTOM” or the plus sign below “CUSTOM,” which will bring up a pop-up window.

2. In the pop-up window, adjust the “HUE” until you see the color you’re looking for, then click on the point on the photo with a gradient from black (bottom left) to the desired color in the “HUE” (top right).

3. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a specific color and know the Hex color code, you can directly enter the color code into the text field at the top of the pop-up window.

4. Once you’ve chosen a color, click the “OK” button at the bottom of the pop-up window.

We recommend not using too many colors in a spreadsheet, keeping the use of colored cells consistent within a Google Sheets file, and filling relevant cells with similar colors. This way, you can make your Google Sheets more user-friendly for readers.

Have fun coloring those cells and making your Google Sheets more visually appealing!

Changing Cell Color Based on Another Cell’s Value

You can use the “Conditional Formatting” function for this. Here’s how:

1. Select the cell you want to change the color of.

2. Go to the “Format” tab and click on “Conditional Formatting.”

3. A pop-up window will appear on the right side of the screen.

4. Choose “Custom formula is” from the drop-down menu called “Format cells if.”

5. Enter the formula you want to apply in the box and click “Done.”

Here’s an example of how to change the color of a cell based on the value of another cell:

Let’s say we want to change the color of cell D5 based on the value of cell B5.

1. Determine the conditions you want to use.

2. Suppose we want to color cell D5 red if it’s less than 15 and light green if it’s equal to or greater than 15.

3. Enter 15 in cell D2 as a reference point in the formula.

4. In this case, you need to use two formulas as shown in the image below.

How to Shade Alternating Rows in Google Sheets?

You can fill cells, rows, or columns with a light gray color as you’ve learned in this article. However, if you want to shade every other row by alternating two colors (e.g., white and light gray), there’s a better solution: the “Alternating Colors” function.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Select the range you want to apply the pattern to.

2. Go to the “Format” tab and click on “Alternating Colors.”

3. A pop-up window will appear on the right side of the screen.

4. You can choose a pattern from the default patterns or customize your own design.

5. You can also decide whether to apply the chosen pattern to the header and footer.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to create attractive and well-organized Google Sheets spreadsheets.

Remember, coloring cells can not only make your data visually appealing but also easier for readers to understand. So, enjoy this feature and enhance the look of your Google Sheets spreadsheets!

To learn more about Google Sheets tools and tips, don’t hesitate to visit Crawlan.com.

Now go ahead and make those cells shine!