Excel: Applying Color to Text in a Cell

ID: Q31715


SUMMARY

To assign a color to a cell in Microsoft Excel version 2.20, do the following:

  1. Select the cell or range of cells.


  2. From the Format menu, choose Font.


  3. Select the desired color. Click OK.


This method is not available in Excel version 1.50. To assign a color to a cell in Excel 1.50 or to assign a color in Excel 1.50 or 2.20 based on the value in the cell, do the following:

  1. Select the cell or range of cells.


  2. From the Format menu, choose Number.


  3. Select the format you want to change.


  4. Position the insertion point after the format. Type a left bracket ([), the color you want, and a right bracket (]).


  5. Click OK.



MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Excel versions 1.50 and 2.20 allow you to assign any of the basic screen colors to a cell's formatting. The basic colors are red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, magenta, black, and white. A color is assigned as part of the cell's format, and can be dependent on its value.

For example, you could format a cell to display a positive number in green, a negative number in red, a zero in yellow, and text in blue. If you change the contents of a cell, its color will change accordingly.

In Excel version 1.50 and 2.20, the number format is made up of four sections (three number sections and a text section), each separated by a semicolon. Text usually appears in the fourth position of the cell's format. If you want to place text in any other position, the text must be preceded by the "@" symbol. If you format a cell to display white, the cell will appear blank when a value is entered.

If your monitor is monochrome, you will not see any indication of color on the screen. However, if you later use that worksheet on a color monitor, you will see the assigned colors. The following are examples of color value formats for Excel 1.50 and 2.20:

  1. Format: General[green]
    Display: All numbers and text in green.


  2. Format: 0[red];0[black];0[blue];@[green]
    Display: Positive numbers in red, negative numbers in black, zero in blue, and text in green.


  3. Format: #.#0[cyan];(#.#0)[blue];0
    Display: Positive numbers in cyan, negative numbers in blue; zero and text will default to black.


  4. Format: General[yellow];General[red]
    Display: Positive numbers, zero, and text in yellow; negative numbers in red.


  5. Format: General[cyan];@[white]
    Display: All numbers in cyan; text in white.


Additional query words: 1.50 2.20 


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Last Reviewed: March 12, 1999