Rows of data without clear formatting can be hard to read, especially in large tables. Your eyes can get lost in the grid, making it challenging to follow information across rows. Thankfully, Google Sheets offers an easy fix: Alternating colours. This tool not only makes your data visually appealing but also improves readability. Here’s how to use it effectively.
Highlight your data and open Alternating colours
Start by selecting the range you want to format. This could include your entire table and additional rows for future entries.
Go to the Format menu and choose Alternating colours. This will add the default grey and white alternating colours to your data.
How to customise the rows
The sidebar will also open with some easy-to-use options you can configure.
This includes:
• Range: Specify the data range for the formatting.
• Header and Footer Options: Decide if these rows should have unique colours, if so, tick them.
• Default Styles: Choose from pre-set colour combinations.
• Custom Styles: Create your own combination, saved for future use.
To customise, select a default style or create a new one by clicking the “+” button. Use the colour-fill circles to select hues for header, rows, and footer.
How to add Headers and Footers
Headers are shaded darker by default, making them stand out. Footers can also be highlighted for rows like totals. Enable these by ticking the respective boxes.
How to remove Alternating Colours
Need to reset your table? Click Remove alternating colours at the bottom of the sidebar.
Automatic Adjustments
When rows are added or removed, the alternating pattern automatically updates, ensuring the table maintains the dark row, light row look.
Alternating colours in Google Sheets is a quick way to elevate your data’s clarity and style. Experiment with default and custom styles to find the perfect match for your needs.
Ready to take your spreadsheets to the next level? Try this feature today!
Check out my video showing you how to use alternating colours:
Find more posts on how to use Google Sheets here.
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