How do I turn off every other line shaded in Excel?

Excel offers a handy feature to shade alternate rows in a spreadsheet. This can make your data easier to read by differentiating between rows visually. However, you may find yourself wanting to turn this shading off at times. Fortunately, Excel makes it easy to toggle shading on and off.

Why Use Alternate Row Shading

Alternate row shading is useful for several reasons:

• Improves readability – The different colors help guide your eyes along each row.
• Easier to see data relationships – You can rapidly spot relationships and patterns across shaded and unshaded rows.
• Focus attention – The shading draws your focus to the key data while deemphasizing the background.
• Print-friendly – When printed, the shading helps maintain row distinctions.

For these reasons, shading every other row is a great default view for many Excel worksheets. However, there are also times you may want to turn this shading off.

When to Turn Off Alternate Row Shading

Here are some examples of when you may want to disable the alternate row shading in Excel:

• Printing – You may want to conserve color ink when printing.
• Focus on specific data – Removing shading can direct attention to a particular section.
• No meaningful row distinction – Your data may not have clear row delineations.
• Stylistic preferences – You simply may prefer the look without shading.
• Data presentations – Shading could distract from reports, dashboards or presentations.
• Sending to others – Recipients may have different shading preferences.

Fortunately, Excel makes it easy to quickly toggle the shading on and off as needed.

How to Turn Off Alternate Row Shading in Excel

Here are 3 simple ways to turn off alternate row shading in Excel:

Method 1: Format as Table

This method works for data formatted as an Excel table:

1. Select any cell in the Excel table.
2. On the Excel ribbon, go to the Design tab.
3. Check the box for Banded Rows to turn shading on or off.

The box will have a check mark when banded rows are enabled and be empty when disabled. Just click it to toggle.

Method 2: Sheet Options

This method works for all data on a sheet:

1. Right-click on any sheet tab.
2. Select View Code.
3. Look for the Objects line near the top.
4. Change xlSheetEvenRow to xlSheetAll to disable shading.
5. Change back to xlSheetEvenRow to turn shading back on.

This will disable shading for the entire selected sheet.

Method 3: Default View

To change the default shading setting for new workbooks:

1. Go to File > Options.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Under the Display options for this worksheet section, change the Sheet option.
4. Click OK to save the change.

Now new sheets will default to your chosen setting.

Alternatives to Row Shading

Besides completely disabling row shading, you also have a few other options:

• Modify shading color – Customize the shade color if the default blue is not ideal.
• Shade groups of rows – Shade in groups of 2, 3 or more rows instead of alternating.
• Add borders – Add horizontal borders between rows instead of shading.
• Shade columns – Shade alternate columns or groups of columns instead.
• Conditional formatting – Apply shading only to rows that meet certain conditions.

This can provide more flexible options beyond completely on or off shading.

Sample Shading Data

Here is an example of data shaded alternating rows in Excel:

Name	Department	Start Date
John Smith	Sales	1/5/2017
Jane Doe	Marketing	3/15/2019
Bob Lee	Engineering	6/1/2021

The shading makes it easy to distinguish between the rows in the table.

Key Takeaways

Here are some key points to remember about turning off alternate row shading in Excel:

• Shading can improve readability but may not always be desirable.
• Toggle shading on/off for tables using the Design tab Banded Rows box.
• Disable shading sheet-wide by changing xlSheetEvenRow to xlSheetAll in View Code.
• Set defaults for new workbooks in Excel Options Advanced settings.
• Consider modifying shading color or shading patterns as an alternative.

Following these tips will allow you to easily control Excel row shading to optimize the view for your data and purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some common questions about alternate row shading in Excel:

Why are alternate rows shaded by default in Excel?

This default shading behavior helps improve readability of large datasets by differentiating visually between rows. The coloring draws the eye along each row more easily.

How do I quickly shade every other row in Excel?

The fastest way is to apply an Excel table style that includes banded rows, such as the default Table Style Medium. This will instantly apply shading.

Can I shade every third or fourth row instead of alternating?

Yes, you can customize the shading frequency by right-clicking on a table and selecting Table Properties. On the Row Striping tab, change the Stripe Size to the desired number of rows.

Is there an easier way to toggle shading than View Code?

For Excel tables, the Design tab Banded Rows checkbox provides the easiest on/off toggle. For full sheets, View Code is the most direct method.

How do I shade both rows and columns?

Use the Design tab to enable Banded Columns shading in addition to Banded Rows. This will apply shading to alternate columns and rows for a checkerboard effect.

Conclusion

Alternating row shading can be a useful feature in Excel to make your data easier to read. However, there are many situations where you may want to disable this shading. With a few simple clicks, you can easily toggle the shading on and off using the Design tab, View Code, or Excel Options. This flexibility allows you to optimize the view for different situations and datasets.