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ApexSurv1vor's avatar
ApexSurv1vor
Copper Contributor
Jun 20, 2024

Excel formatting colour based on cell value

Go to Conditional Formatting on the Home tab of the ribbon. Select New rule > Use a formula to determine which cells to format. Then, type this one:

By using this formula in excel

=C3=1

 

Note that the reference of C3 is not absolute. Then, select to fill with red color on the fill tab and change font color (on the font tab) with the same color you filled the cell (this will make the number not visible). Do the same procedure for all points in the scale.

 

Finally, once you have all rules set, go to manage rules in the conditional formatting options and change the range of "Applies to" to select the entire desired range of application.

I can input a number and the cell will change colour also. Is there any way to do this method in google spreadsheets so i dont have to waste 10's of hours. Thankyou

  • ApexSurv1vor 

    I actually use Excel and not Google Sheets, but here is an attempt nonetheless.

    You can apply conditional formatting in Google Sheets to change cell colors based on their values, similar to Excel. Here is a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

    Step-by-Step Guide for Google Sheets

    1. Open Google Sheets:
      • Open your Google Sheets document.
    2. Select the Range:
      • Select the range of cells where you want to apply conditional formatting. For example, select cells C3:C10.
    3. Open Conditional Formatting:
      • Go to the Format menu.
      • Select Conditional formatting.
    4. Apply the Conditional Formatting Rule:
      • In the "Conditional format rules" panel that opens on the right, under "Format cells if", select "Custom formula is".
      • Enter the formula: =C3=1 (assuming you want to format based on the value in cell C3).
    5. Set the Formatting Style:
      • Below the formula, choose the formatting style. Click on the paint bucket icon to set the fill color (e.g., red).
      • Click on the text color icon (A) to set the font color to the same color as the fill color (e.g., red).
    6. Apply to Entire Range:
      • By default, Google Sheets applies the conditional formatting rule to the range you initially selected. However, you can adjust this range in the "Apply to range" box at the top of the panel.
      • For example, you can set it to C3:C10 to apply the formatting to all these cells.
    7. Add More Rules if Necessary:
      • If you need additional rules for other values (e.g., when the value is 2 or 3), click on Add another rule and repeat the steps with the appropriate formula and formatting.

    Example with Multiple Rules

    If you want to apply multiple rules for different values, you can follow the same steps for each rule. For example:

    • For cells equal to 1:
      • Formula: =C3=1
      • Fill color: Red
      • Text color: Red
    • For cells equal to 2:
      • Formula: =C3=2
      • Fill color: Blue
      • Text color: Blue
    • For cells equal to 3:
      • Formula: =C3=3
      • Fill color: Green
      • Text color: Green

    Final Steps

    1. Review and Adjust:
      • Ensure all your conditional formatting rules are listed in the "Conditional format rules" panel.
      • You can click on each rule to edit the formula and formatting style.
    2. Manage Rules:
      • If needed, you can adjust the "Apply to range" for each rule to ensure they cover the desired cells.

    Applying the Rules Efficiently

    To avoid manually adding the same rules for a large number of cells, you can use relative cell references in your formulas (e.g., =C3=1 rather than an absolute reference like =$C$3=1). This way, Google Sheets will apply the rule relative to each cell in the selected range.

    Summary

    Google Sheets allows you to use conditional formatting with custom formulas, similar to Excel. By setting up your rules with relative references and applying them to the desired range, you can efficiently manage and update the formatting without manually applying it to each cell. This approach will save you a significant amount of time and effort. The text was created with the help of AI.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

     

    Was the answer useful? Mark as best response and like it!

    This will help all forum participants.

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Gold Contributor

    ApexSurv1vor 

    I actually use Excel and not Google Sheets, but here is an attempt nonetheless.

    You can apply conditional formatting in Google Sheets to change cell colors based on their values, similar to Excel. Here is a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

    Step-by-Step Guide for Google Sheets

    1. Open Google Sheets:
      • Open your Google Sheets document.
    2. Select the Range:
      • Select the range of cells where you want to apply conditional formatting. For example, select cells C3:C10.
    3. Open Conditional Formatting:
      • Go to the Format menu.
      • Select Conditional formatting.
    4. Apply the Conditional Formatting Rule:
      • In the "Conditional format rules" panel that opens on the right, under "Format cells if", select "Custom formula is".
      • Enter the formula: =C3=1 (assuming you want to format based on the value in cell C3).
    5. Set the Formatting Style:
      • Below the formula, choose the formatting style. Click on the paint bucket icon to set the fill color (e.g., red).
      • Click on the text color icon (A) to set the font color to the same color as the fill color (e.g., red).
    6. Apply to Entire Range:
      • By default, Google Sheets applies the conditional formatting rule to the range you initially selected. However, you can adjust this range in the "Apply to range" box at the top of the panel.
      • For example, you can set it to C3:C10 to apply the formatting to all these cells.
    7. Add More Rules if Necessary:
      • If you need additional rules for other values (e.g., when the value is 2 or 3), click on Add another rule and repeat the steps with the appropriate formula and formatting.

    Example with Multiple Rules

    If you want to apply multiple rules for different values, you can follow the same steps for each rule. For example:

    • For cells equal to 1:
      • Formula: =C3=1
      • Fill color: Red
      • Text color: Red
    • For cells equal to 2:
      • Formula: =C3=2
      • Fill color: Blue
      • Text color: Blue
    • For cells equal to 3:
      • Formula: =C3=3
      • Fill color: Green
      • Text color: Green

    Final Steps

    1. Review and Adjust:
      • Ensure all your conditional formatting rules are listed in the "Conditional format rules" panel.
      • You can click on each rule to edit the formula and formatting style.
    2. Manage Rules:
      • If needed, you can adjust the "Apply to range" for each rule to ensure they cover the desired cells.

    Applying the Rules Efficiently

    To avoid manually adding the same rules for a large number of cells, you can use relative cell references in your formulas (e.g., =C3=1 rather than an absolute reference like =$C$3=1). This way, Google Sheets will apply the rule relative to each cell in the selected range.

    Summary

    Google Sheets allows you to use conditional formatting with custom formulas, similar to Excel. By setting up your rules with relative references and applying them to the desired range, you can efficiently manage and update the formatting without manually applying it to each cell. This approach will save you a significant amount of time and effort. The text was created with the help of AI.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

     

    Was the answer useful? Mark as best response and like it!

    This will help all forum participants.

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