Shading the Input Cells for Visual Effect

The cells where you have created input fields can be shaded to give a visually appealing look and to make them stand out from the rest of the text on the page. This makes it easier for people to find the fields if they are using a mouse and when entering information.

Excel Versions Prior to 2007

  1. Press ALT+O to go to the Format menu.
  2. Press E for Cells. The Format Cells dialog box opens. Alternatively, you can also press CTRL+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box.
  3. Press CTRL+TAB to move to the Pattern page.
  4. Press TAB to move to the list box that says "no color."
  5. Press DOWN ARROW to move into a list of the available colors and find one of your choosing.

NOTE: The color should be a light color, since darker background colors make text in the fields harder to read.


  1. Press ENTER to select the color of your choosing.
  2. Press TAB to move to and activate the OK button. The Format Cells dialog box closes and the background color is applied to the current cell or selected range of cells.
  3. Move to the next field and press CTRL+Y to repeat the process.

Excel 2007

  1. Move the cursor to one of the input fields you created earlier.
  2. Press ALT followed by H to move to the Home tab of the ribbon.
  3. Press H to move to the Font group and select Fill colors. A Theme colors gallery appears. Alternatively, you can also press CTRL+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box, but you need to press CTRL+TAB to move to the Fill page and then TAB to move to the "no color" button, followed by DOWN ARROW to move into the colors list.
  4. Press the ARROW Keys to choose a color for the background shading of that cell.
  5. Press ENTER when finished to close the Theme colors dialog box.
  6. Move to the next cell where an input field is and repeat the process, or press CTRL+Y to repeat the process without having to go to the ribbon.

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