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

Question

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.

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, Sep 04 '18 at 01:58

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited Jul 09 '20 at 15:38

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

Private Sub Workbook_Open()

    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

Rajesh Sinha · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-04T09:20:32.500

3

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.

edited Sep 04 '18 at 09:20

answered Sep 04 '18 at 04:58

Rajesh Sinha

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Is it possible to do this through certain settings/configuration? – curious Sep 04 '18 at 04:59
1

@curious, few parameters are possible, but this method is handy. One more possibility is create TEMPLATE & use it . – Rajesh Sinha Sep 04 '18 at 05:03
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 Sep 04 '18 at 05:13
1

write `vbBlack` instead & for me it's working for other also,, but wait I'll return soo. – Rajesh Sinha Sep 04 '18 at 05:20
@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 Sinha Sep 04 '18 at 05:49
Sure @TomBrunberg,, soon I'll. – Rajesh Sinha Sep 04 '18 at 08:40
As I mentioned in my comment on the question, setting a fill colour for all cells will hide the gridlines. – Blackwood Sep 04 '18 at 19:41
Glad to help you @curious ,, keep asking ☺ – Rajesh Sinha Dec 21 '19 at 07:23

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

2 Answers2

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