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Assigning a Macro to a Keyboard Combination

Creating Scenarios

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Picking a Group of Cells

Running Out of Memory

Hiding Rows Based on a Cell Value

 

Cycling Through Colors

Summary: Excel includes quite a few tools that are not normally accessible through the various toolbars or (in Excel 2007) the ribbon. One such esoteric tool is one that allows you to quickly cycle through the colors that can be applied to a cell. This tip explains how to make this handy tool accessible. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)

Excel provides a tool you can use to cycle through the available font colors. The tool is not available by default, but must be added by following these steps when using a version of Excel earlier than Excel 2007:

  1. Choose Customize from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Customize dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Commands tab is displayed. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  3. In the list of Categories, choose Format.
  4. In the list of Commands, select Cycle Font Color.
  5. Drag the Cycle Font Color to the place on your toolbar where you want the tool to appear.
  6. Click on Close.

The process of adding the necessary tool is different if you are using Excel 2007. Follow these steps:

  1. Click the Office button and then click Excel Options. Excel displays the Excel Options dialog box.
  2. Click the Customize option at the left side of the dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  3. In the Choose Commands From drop-down list, choose All Commands.
  4. In the list of commands, click once on Cycle Font Colors.
  5. Click the Add button. The command is copied to the right side of the dialog box.
  6. Click OK. The Cycle Font Colors tool is now on the Quick Access toolbar (above the ribbon tabs and to the right of the Office button).

Now, whenever you click on the Cycle Font Color tool, the font color in the selected cells will change. Click again, and the color changes again. Keep clicking, and eventually the font colors repeat.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2962) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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