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How to preserve grid lines while filling color in Excel?

As we all known, when we fill background color to cells, the gridlines will be covered as well, in this case, how could we keep the gridlines while filling background color in Excel cells to get the following screenshot shown.

doc keep gridlines fill color 1

Preserve gridlines while filling color with VBA code

arrow blue right bubble Preserve gridlines while filling color with VBA code

Normally, there is no direct way for us to solve this job, but, here, I can introduce a VBA code for you. Please do as follows:

1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. In the left Project-VBAProject pane, double click ThisWorkbook under the expanded VBAProject, then copy and paste the following VBA code into the blank Module:

VBA code: preserve gridlines while filling color

Dim xRgPre As Range
Private Sub Workbook_SheetSelectionChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)
    On Error Resume Next
    If Not xRgPre Is Nothing Then DrawBorders xRgPre
    Set xRgPre = Target
End Sub
Private Sub DrawBorders(ByVal Rg As Range)
'Updateby Extendoffice 20160725
    Dim xCell As Range
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    For Each xCell In Rg
        If xCell.Interior.ColorIndex = xlNone Then
            With xCell.Borders
                If .ColorIndex = 15 Then
                    .LineStyle = xlNone
                End If
            End With
        Else
            With xCell.Borders
                If .LineStyle = xlNone Then
                    .Weight = xlThin
                    .ColorIndex = 15
                End If
            End With
        End If
    Next
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

doc keep gridlines fill color 2

3. And then save and close the code window, now, when you fill a color for a range of cells, the gridlines will be showed automatically.

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Comments (19)
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realsunbj
realsunbj
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Is this universally and automatically applied to new tables or sheets opened? Or need to do this for each table or sheet you want to have it? How to make it universally and automatically applied to new tables or sheets?
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BK
BK
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Simply change MS Office to Open Office...
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Mascha Frey
Mascha Frey
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Danke für den super Tipp!
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sculbertson1106
sculbertson1106
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This works great. (Thanks) But here's the real question - Why does Excel allow gridlines to disappear when filling cells with color in the first place? Just another dumb glitch in the techy world that so-called intelligent developers never think of. I mean, the gridlines, by default are supposed to be there anyway...so....
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Chad
Chad
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Thank you! I was pulling hairs trying to get the nice grey-ish borders to stay after colorizing. Can't believe Microsoft hasn't already implemented this.
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Alissa
Alissa
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Another fix, if you don't want to mess with code:
First figure out which color gray matches the default lines and have it in mind.
In the Home tab click Cell styles, right click on Normal, click Modify -> Format -> Border. For Line Color, select that gray. For Presets, select Outline. Done.
Now you may have to select all (CTRL+A / Command+A) and click Cell styles -> Normal to make sure it's applied to all cells. When you fill a cell, the borders will remain.
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Jane
Jane     Alissa
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Very helpful- thank you
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JL
JL     Alissa
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This helped me SO much. I have literally been searching so many places and this is the only explanation that worked! Thank you!!!
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Fox
Fox     Alissa
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Alissa , I had the same problem couldn`t get it fixed but your reply helped me a lot , so thank you very much , you are genius .
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Armaan Sandhu
Armaan Sandhu     Alissa
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Thank you!!
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Andrew
Andrew
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Cool, but now if I fill some cells, and hit Ctrl+Z to undo, it won't work. Will not undo.
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skyyang
skyyang     Andrew
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Hello, Andrew,
Yes, the above code can not support Undo feature, you should fill no color manually to undo your work.
Thank you!
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barbatus
barbatus
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use only standard colors ;)
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Terry
Terry
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works but one has to correct the error if you see it.
Dim xRgPre As Range
Private Sub Workbook_SheetSelectionChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)
On Error Resume Next
If Not xRgPre Is Nothing Then DrawBorders xRgPre
Set xRgPre = Target


*************************************
Should READ... as the If statement only ensures that something is there to set to memory allocation.

One could set the next line below for clean up and not allow memory leaks.

Private Sub Workbook_SheetSelectionChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)
On Error Resume Next
Set xRgPre = Target
If Not xRgPre Is Nothing Then DrawBorders xRgPre
'For ensured memory leaks do not happen
'Clean up the memory allocated after it is not needed.
Set xRqPre = Nothing



Have a nice day..
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James Godesky
James Godesky     Terry
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Does not work with Conditional Formatting. Set xRqPre = Nothing gives error: variable not defined (deleted the line).Screen jiggles here too, using 2010. Other wise its a cool tool..
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Vic
Vic
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Works fine, but sadly every time I now click on a cell, the worksheet judders! Removed the VBA and the judder has ceased. Wonder why this should happen?
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jdjshark@gmail.com
    Vic
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Same here with Excel 2016. I'm getting freezing and mostly blanked out screen for several seconds, especially when selecting many cells. It's a shame because it does work perfectly otherwise.
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skyyang
skyyang     Vic
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Hi, Vic,
There is no this problem in my Excel workbook, which Excel version do you use?
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