What command do you use to apply a background color to cells in a worksheet?

We love to modify everything for the betterment. Even in the case of using Excel, we try to change the default background color of the Worksheet to modify its appearance. In this article, we are going to learn how do I change the default background color in Excel.

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7 Easy Ways to Change the Default Background Color in Excel

Go through the following easy methods to enhance your knowledge about changing the default background color in Excel. Here’s an overview of the dataset for our today’s task.

1. Use Fill Color Command to Change Default Background Color

Using the Fill color option, you can change the background color. From our dataset, we will change the background color of the highest marks. Let’s follow the instructions below to learn!

Steps:

• First of all, select a cell for the convenience of our work. Let’s say, we will select cell D13.
• After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Font → Fill Color

• As a result, you will be able to change the background color from No Fill color to Green which has been given in the below screenshot.

Read More: [Fixed!] Background Color Not Changing in Excel (6 Solutions)

2. Apply Conditional Formatting to Change Default Background Color

Now, we will apply conditional formatting to change the background color of several cells. From our dataset, we will change the background color of those cells whose value is less than 45. This is an easy and time-saving task also. Let’s follow the instructions below to learn!

Step 1:

• First of all, select a cell range for the convenience of our work. Let’s say, we will select cells B4 to F14.

• After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Styles → Conditional Formatting → Highlight Cells Rules → Less Than

Step 2:

• As a result, a Less Than dialog box will appear in front of you.
• From the Less Than dialog box, firstly, type 45 under the Format cells that are LESS THAN typing box.
• Secondly, select a color from the drop-down box named with. We select Light Red Fill with Dark Red Text.
• At last, press the OK option.

• After completing the above process, you will be able to change the background color.

Read More: How to Change Background Color Based on Value in Excel

3. Change Default Background with Patterns or Fill Effects

You can change a cell’s background as some pattern or effect too. Follow the steps below to accomplish this.

Steps:

• At first, choose the cell in which you want to change the background.
• Subsequently, right-click in the cell and choose the Format Cells… option from the context menu.

• At this time, the Format Cells window will appear.
• Go to the Fill Now, for the pattern background, choose your desired pattern color from the Pattern Color dropdown list.
• Subsequently, choose the pattern style from the Pattern Style dropdown list.
• Hence, select the Fill Effects option.

• After that, a Fill Effects dialog box pops up.
• From the Fill Effects dialog box, choose the Two colors option from the Colors.
• Subsequently, choose your shading style from the Shading styles.
• Afterward, choose a variant from the Variants samples.
• Consequently, click on the OK button.

• Again, click on the OK option.

• Further, you will be able to change the background color using the Fill effects option.

Read More: How to Make Picture Background Transparent in Excel (2 Methods)

4. Use Excel Paint Bucket to Color the Default Background of a Worksheet

You can change the whole worksheet background color by using the Paint Bucket tool. Follow the steps below to do so.

Steps:

• To change the whole worksheet background color by using the Paint Bucket tool, firstly, select the entire worksheet.
• To do that, press Ctrl + A on your keyboard simultaneously.

• After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Font → Fill Color

• As a result, you will be able to change the background color from No Fill color to Dark Blue which has been given in the below screenshot.

Read More: How to Remove Background in Excel (2 Practical Cases)

5. Utilize Find Tool to Change Default Background Color

In this method, we will apply the Find tool to change the background color. Let’s follow the instructions below to change the background color!

Steps:

• First of all, select the cells where you want your background changed to specific conditions.
• Hence, press Ctrl + F on your keyboard simultaneously.

• At this time, the Find and Replace window will appear.
• On the Find tab, write what you want to find in the Find what text box. Suppose, we want to find the blank cells. So, we leave the text box empty.

• Further, click on the Find All option.
• Subsequently, the blank cell references will be shown in an added portion of the Find and Replace option.
• Now, drag and select all the cell references.

• After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Font → Fill Color

• As a result, you will be able to change the background color of the blank cells from No Fill color to Red which has been given in the below screenshot.

Read More: How to Remove Background Color in Excel (5 Ways)

6. Unprotect Worksheet to Alternate the Default Background Color

If your Excel worksheet is protected, first you should unprotect it to change the default background color. Let’s follow the instructions below to learn!

Steps:

• To unprotect the worksheet, first of all, from your Home tab, go to,

Home → Cells → Format → Unprotect Sheet

• Hence, you will be able to unprotect the sheet to change the default background color.

• After that, simply repeat method 1 to change the default background color.

Read More: How to Change Worksheet Tab Color in Excel (5 Handy Methods)

7. Run Excel VBA Code to Change the Default Background Color

Last but not the least, I’ll show how to change the background color using a simple VBA code. It’s very helpful for some particular moments. From our dataset, we will change the background color using a simple VBA code. Let’s follow the instructions below to change the background color using a simple VBA code!

Step 1:

• First of all, open a Module, to do that, firstly, from your Developer tab, go to,

Developer → Visual Basic

• After clicking on the Visual Basic ribbon, a window named Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications – Change Default Background Color will instantly appear in front of you.
• From that window, we will insert a module for applying our VBA code.
• To do that, press double click on the worksheet named sheet7(VBA) which has been given in the below screenshot.

Step 2:

• Hence, the Change Default Background Color module pops up. In the Change Default Background Color module, write down the below VBA code.

Private Sub Background_Color_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim X As Range
Set X = Range("B6:F14")
If Not Intersect(Target, X) Is Nothing Then
Target.Interior.Color = rgbGreen
Else
End If
End Sub

• Hence, run the VBA To do that, go to,

Run → Run Sub/UserForm

Step 3:

• After running the VBA code, go back to your Excel worksheet, and select any cell.
• As a result, you will be able to change the background color of the cells from No Fill color to Green which has been given in the below screenshot.

Read More: Excel VBA to Open Workbook in Background (2 Useful Examples)

Things to Remember

👉 The other way is to unprotect a worksheet to change the background color. Hence, you will use the Fill color option to change the background color.

👉 #N/A! error arises when the formula or a function in the formula fails to find the referenced data.

👉 #DIV/0! error happens when a value is divided by zero(0) or the cell reference is blank.

Conclusion

I hope all of the suitable methods mentioned above to change the default background color will now provoke you to apply them in your Excel spreadsheets with more productivity. You are most welcome to feel free to comment if you have any questions or queries.

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