How to make MS Excel cells display dark background with white text instead of the reverse which is default?

By default, MS Excel cells displays white background with black text. This is glaring to the eyes. Some even find it painful. How can we make MS Excel to display black/dark background with white text instead?

I'm sure many of us will find this more comfortable to our eyes.

I am using MS Excel 2016 on Windows 10.

curious

Posted 2018-09-04T01:36:12.603

Reputation: 311

You could change the Normal Style to have a Fill that is black and Font that is white. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see the gridlines if you do that. You can give the rest of the interface a dark theme using Options | General | Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office | Office Theme | Black. – Blackwood – 2018-09-04T01:58:01.837

Answers

The most easiest method I can suggest you is VBA (Macro).

Private Sub Workbook_Open()

Dim xsheet As Worksheet 

For Each xsheet In ThisWorkbook.Worksheets

ThisWorkbook.Sheets.Select
    With Range(Cells(1, 1), Cells(1048576, 5000))
        .Interior.Color = vbCyan
        .Font.Name = "Calibri"
        .Font.Size = "11"
        .Font.Color = vbWhite
    End With
    Next xsheet
End Sub

How it works:

Press Alt+F11 to open VB editor.
Find & Click the This Workbook Icon.
Select Workbook from left Dropdown & Open from right Dropdown.
Copy & Paste lines from ThisWorkbook.Sheets.Select to End With & Save the Workbook.

Next time when you open the Workbook, you find the new look.

Note, Sheet's dimension, Interior & Font Color as well as Font name & size are editable.

Rajesh S

Posted 2018-09-04T01:36:12.603

Reputation: 6 800

Is it possible to do this through certain settings/configuration? – curious – 2018-09-04T04:59:31.210

1@curious, few parameters are possible, but this method is handy. One more possibility is create TEMPLATE & use it . – Rajesh S – 2018-09-04T05:03:19.953

I tested your VBA code. Only the first worksheet is affected. The other worksheets are not. This is a problem for excel files with multiple worksheets. One more thing. .Interior.Color = vbCyan needs to be changed to vbBlack for black background. – curious – 2018-09-04T05:13:33.020

1write vbBlack instead & for me it's working for other also,, but wait I'll return soo. – Rajesh S – 2018-09-04T05:20:54.967

@curious, add these lines before ThisWorkbook.Sheets.Select Dim xsheet As Worksheet For Each xsheet In ThisWorkbook.Worksheets and Next xsheet after End With – Rajesh S – 2018-09-04T05:49:46.110

Sure @TomBrunberg,, soon I'll. – Rajesh S – 2018-09-04T08:40:56.403

As I mentioned in my comment on the question, setting a fill colour for all cells will hide the gridlines. – Blackwood – 2018-09-04T19:41:39.273

Glad to help you @curious ,, keep asking ☺ – Rajesh S – 2019-12-21T07:23:04.170

This updated code makes all sheets black and adds cell borders to simulate the grid lines;


Dim xsheet As Worksheet

For Each xsheet In ThisWorkbook.Worksheets
    xsheet.Select
    With Range(Cells(1, 1), Cells(1048576, 5000))
        .Interior.Color = vbBlack 'xlNone '
        .Font.Name = "Calibri"
        '.Font.Size = "11"
        .Font.Color = vbWhite 'vbBlack
        .Borders.LineStyle = xlContinuous
        .Borders.Weight = xlThin
        .Borders.ColorIndex = 49 'colors here http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/excel/colors.htm
    End With

Next xsheet

End Sub

Chris

Posted 2018-09-04T01:36:12.603

Reputation: 21