If you want to make your Google Sheets spreadsheet easier to read, you can apply alternate shading to rows or columns. Weâll walk you through it!
Adding Alternate Colors to Rows
You can apply an alternate color scheme to rows in your Google Sheets spreadsheet directly using the âAlternating Colorsâ formatting feature.
To do so, open your Google Sheets spreadsheet and select your data. You can either do this manually or select a cell in your data set, and then press Ctrl+A to select the data automatically.
After your data is selected, click Format> Alternating Colors.
This will apply a basic alternate color scheme to each row of your data set and open the âAlternating Colorsâ panel on the right, so you can make further changes.
You can also select one of several preset themes, with different alternate colors listed under the âDefault Stylesâ section.
Alternatively, you can create your own custom style by clicking one of the options in the âCustom Stylesâ section and selecting a new color. Youâll have to repeat this for each color listed.
For instance, if you change the âHeaderâ color, it will also change the color scheme applied to the header row.
If you want to remove the alternating color scheme from your rows entirely, click âRemove Alternating Colorsâ at the bottom of the panel.
Adding Alternate Colors to Columns
The âAlternating Colorsâ feature alternates colors for rows, but wonât do the same for columns. To apply alternate colors to columns, youâll have to use conditional formatting instead.
To do so, select your data set in your Google Sheets spreadsheet. You can do this manually, or by selecting a cell, and then pressing Ctrl+A to select the data.
With your data selected, click Format> Conditional Formatting from the menu bar.
This opens the âConditional Format Rulesâ panel on the right. In the âFormat Rulesâ drop-down menu, click âCustom Formula Is.â
In the box below, type the following formula:
=ISEVEN(COLUMN())
Then, select the color, font, and formatting styles you want to apply in the âFormatting Styleâ box.
Click âDoneâ to add the rule.
This will apply the formatting options youâve selected to each column with an even number (column B meaning column 2, column D meaning column 4, and so on).
To add a new formatting rule for odd-numbered columns (column A meaning column 1, column C meaning column 3, and so on), click âAdd Another Rule.â
The same as before, select âCustom Formula Isâ from the âFormat Rulesâ drop-down menu. In the box provided, type the following:
=ISODD(COLUMN())
Next, select your preferred formatting in the âFormatting Styleâ options box, and then click âDone.â
After you save, your data set should appear with different formatting for each alternate column.
If you want to apply custom formatting to the header row, you can create a rule to apply formatting on a column row (row 1) first, and then repeat the steps we outlined above for the rest of your data.
This will allow you to tweak the formatting for your header to make it stand out. You can also edit the formatting directly, but conditional formatting rules will override anything you apply.
If you want to edit a conditional formatting rule youâve applied, click it in the âConditional Format Rulesâ panel. You can then remove it entirely by clicking the Delete button that appears whenever you hover over the rule.
This will immediately remove the conditional formatting rule from your selected data and allow you to apply a new one afterward.