How to Add Gridlines in Excel

Adding gridlines to your Excel worksheet can make it easier to read and understand the data in your table. Gridlines serve as visual aids, helping to differentiate between cells and rows. However, some users may find it difficult to locate and turn on this feature. In this tutorial, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to add gridlines to your Excel sheet.

Step 1: Open the Worksheet

The first step to adding gridlines to your Excel worksheet is to open the worksheet you want to apply the gridlines to.

Step 2: Select the Cells

Select the cells for which you want to apply the gridlines. You can select a single cell, multiple cells, or the entire worksheet.

Step 3: Navigate to the ‘View’ Tab

Navigate to the ‘View’ tab on the ribbon at the top of your screen. This tab contains all of the features related to how your worksheet is displayed.

Step 4: Turn Gridlines on

In the ‘Show’ section of the ‘View’ tab, you will see an option labeled ‘Gridlines.’ Click on this option to turn on gridlines for your selected cells.

Note:

If your worksheet already had gridlines, then you won’t see this option enabled in the view tab. But, if it was turned off, then perform this step to turn it back on.

Step 5: Adjust Gridline Color and Style (Optional)

By default, Excel’s gridlines are displayed in a light gray color. If you want to change the color and style of your gridlines, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells for which you want to modify the gridlines.
2. Navigate to the ‘Home’ tab on the ribbon.
3. Click on the drop-down menu next to the ‘Borders’ button.
4. Select ‘More Borders’ to open the ‘Format Cells’ dialog box.
5. Choose your preferred gridline color and style from the options available.

Step 6: Save Your Changes

Finally, save your changes by clicking on ‘Save’ or ‘Save As’ in the top left corner of your screen.

Note:

Keep in mind that gridlines are only visible on the worksheet, and not on printed or shared copies of the file. Utilize Borders to create a permanent visual aid for your cells, rows, and columns.

Why Do You Need Gridlines in Excel?

Gridlines can be used in making well-organized tables on your spreadsheet. They make a clear separation of rows and columns making it easy to read and understand the data within. They can also save you time when double-checking data entries as single entries became distinct units.

Additionally, Gridlines can be enabled for printing too. This simplifies the printed document further, making it easier to follow the data.

What Are Some Alternatives to Gridlines in Excel?

There are two alternatives to gridlines in Excel, i.e. borders and shading. They are highly customizable and can also be quite helpful and more visually impressive than gridlines.

The Border alternative to gridlines uses lines that highlight particular ranges of cells, unlike gridlines, which span the entirety of the worksheet cells. With Borders, you can choose your styles, width, and likewise, to make them more visually appealing. Another area of difference is that border lines remain visible on the printed copies of the worksheet.

The shading alternative utilizes different colors or shades to indicate areas. Like borders, this alternative is printed on copies of the worksheet also. Users can modify both the intensity and styles of colors as per their choices.

Adding gridlines to your Excel sheets can help streamline your data representation process. The process is very easy and can be done in several easy steps. Even if you have no prior experience, this guide will help you create an efficiently organized table, and get your table presentation going.

FAQs about Adding Gridlines in Excel

Here are some common questions and answers about adding gridlines to your Excel worksheet:

Can I customize the gridline color?

Yes, you can. After turning gridlines on, go to the ‘Borders’ button and click on ‘More Borders’ to open the ‘Format Cells’ dialog box. In the dialog box, choose your preferred gridline color and style from the options available.

Why can’t I see the gridlines in my worksheet?

You may have hidden the gridlines inadvertently. You can turn them back on by navigating to the ‘View’ tab on the ribbon and clicking on the ‘Gridlines’ option in the ‘Show’ section.

Can I adjust the thickness of the gridlines?

No, you cannot. Gridlines always display at a fixed thickness of 0.5pt. If you need more flexibility, consider using the borders feature instead.

Can I print the gridlines on a physical copy of the worksheet?

No, gridlines are only visible on the worksheet itself and not on printed or shared copies of the file. If you need to have a permanent visual aid, consider using the borders feature.

How do I remove gridlines from my worksheet?

To remove gridlines from your worksheet, navigate to the ‘View’ tab on the ribbon and click on the ‘Gridlines’ option in the ‘Show’ section to toggle it off.