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How to shade every other column in Excel?

Author Kelly Last modified

Shading columns or rows in Excel can significantly improve the readability of your data. While you might typically shade each column or row manually, this approach can be time-consuming, especially with larger worksheets. This article will introduce efficient methods to quickly shade every other column in Microsoft Excel, streamlining your formatting process and enhancing the visual appeal of your spreadsheets.

A screenshot of shaded alternate columns in an Excel worksheet

Shade every other column in Excel with Conditional Formatting command

The Conditional Formatting command can shade every other row or column in a selection in Microsoft Excel.

Step 1: Select the range in which you will shade every other column.

Step 2: Click "Home" > "Conditional Formatting" > "New rules…" to open the "New Formatting Rule" dialog box.

Step 3: In the "New Formatting Rule" dialog box, Select the "Use a formula to determine which cells to format" item in the "Select a Rule Type" section.

Step 4: Enter the formula below in the "Format values where this formula is true:" box.

=MOD(COLUMN(),2)

A screenshot of the New Formatting Rule dialog box in Excel

Step 5: Click the "Format" button in the "New Formatting Rule" dialog box to open the "Format Cells" dialog box.

Step 6: In the "Format Cells" dialog box, select one background color, and click the "OK" button to save settings.

A screenshot of the Format Cells dialog box with a background color selected

Every other column in the selection is now shaded with the selected background color.

Quickly shade every other column in Excel with Kutools for Excel

If you have "Kutools for Excel" installed, its "Alternate Row/Column Shading" tool can help you shade every other column or row quickly and conveniently.

Kutools for Excel offers over 300 advanced features to streamline complex tasks, boosting creativity and efficiency. Itegarate with AI capabilities, Kutools automates tasks with precision, making data management effortless. Detailed information of Kutools for Excel...         Free trial...

Step 1: Select the range in which you will shade every other column.

Step 2: Click the "Kutools" > "Format" > "Alternate Row/Column Shading".

Step 3: In the "Alternate Row/Column Shading" dialog box, check the "Columns" option, enter "1" in "Shade Every" box, and Click "OK".

A screenshot of the Alternate Row/Column Shading dialog box

Every other column in the selection is now shaded with the selected color.

Notes:
  • The "Alternate Row Shading" tool presets shade color, and the user can customize the shade color in the Alternate Row / Column Shading dialog box.
  • The "Alternate Row/column Shading" tool can quickly apply shading to alternate rows or columns for a range of cells in a worksheet by using Conditional Formatting and standard formatting to improve the readability of your worksheet in Excel. Click to learn more about this Alternate Row/Column Shading feature.

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