Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft® Office Excel 2003 in 24 Hours

Working with Fills, Shading, and Color

For a simple but dramatic effect, try adding fills, shading, and color to the cells in your worksheets. Add some zest to the appearance of your worksheets by using splashes of color to illuminate some of your data. Excel provides a way to fill cells with colors and color patterns.

Adding Background Patterns and Colors with the Format Cells Dialog Box

One way to add background colors and patterns is via the Format Cells dialog box. Color adds plain color and overall shading to cells.

A pattern is a black-and-white or colored pattern that lies on top of the overall shading. Patterns put texture into color, creating a more interesting eye-catcher than a plain color. Keep in mind that a pattern is busier than ...