Apply shading to alternate rows or columns in a worksheet

This article shows you how to automatically apply shading to every other row or column in a
worksheet.

Windows - Web

There are two ways to apply shading to alternate rows or columns —you can apply the shading by
using a simple conditional formatting formula, or, you can apply a predefined Excel table style to
your data.

Technique 1: Apply shading to alternate rows or columns by using conditional formatting

One way to apply shading to alternate rows or columns in your worksheet is by creating a
conditional formatting rule. This rule uses a formula to determine whether a row is even or odd
numbered, and then applies the shading accordingly. The formula is shown here:

=MOD(ROW(),2)=0

Note: If you want to apply shading to alternate columns instead of alternate rows,
enter =MOD(COLUMN(),2)=0 instead.

1. On the worksheet, do one of the following:

▪ To apply the shading to a specific range of cells, select the cells you want to format.

▪ To apply the shading to the entire worksheet, click the Select All button.

2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the arrow next to Conditional Formatting, and
then click New Rule.

3. In the New Formatting Rule dialog box, under Select a Rule Type, click Use a formula to
determine which cells to format.

4. In the Format values where this formula is true box, enter =MOD(ROW(),2)=0, as shown in
the following illustration.
 5. Click Format.

6. In the Format Cells dialog box, click the Fill tab.

7. Select the background or pattern color that you want to use for the shaded rows, and then
click OK.

At this point, the color you just selected should appear in the Preview window in the New
Formatting Rule dialog box.

8. To apply the formatting to the cells on your worksheet, click OK

Note: To view or edit the conditional formatting rule, on the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the
arrow next to Conditional Formatting, and then click Manage Rules.

Technique 2: Apply shading to alternate rows or columns by using an Excel table style

Another way to quickly add shading or banding to alternate rows is by applying a predefined Excel
table style. This is useful when you want to format a specific range of cells, and you want the
additional benefits that you get with a table, such the ability to quickly display total rows or header
rows in which filter drop-down lists automatically appear.

By default, banding is applied to the rows in a table to make the data easier to read. The automatic
banding continues if you add or delete rows in the table.
If you find you want the table style without the table functionality, you can convert the table to a
regular range of data. If you do this, however, you won't get the automatic banding as you add more
data to your range.

1. On the worksheet, select the range of cells that you want to format.

2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click Format as Table.

3. Under Light, Medium, or Dark, click the table style that you want to use.

Tip: Custom table styles are available under Custom after you create one or more of them. For
information about how to create a custom table style, see Format an Excel table.

4. In the Format as Table dialog box, click OK.

Notice that the Banded Rows check box is selected by default in the Table Style Options group.

If you want to apply shading to alternate columns instead of alternate rows, you can clear this check
box and select Banded Columns instead.

5. If you want to convert the Excel table back to a regular range of cells, click anywhere in the
table to display the tools necessary for converting the table back to a range of data.

6. On the Design tab, in the Tools group, click Convert to Range.

Tip: You can also right-click the table, click Table, and then click Convert to Range.
Insert a chart from an Excel spreadsheet into Word

Insert an Excel chart in a Word document

You can change the chart, update it, and redesign it without ever leaving Word. If you change the
data in Excel, you can automatically refresh the chart in Word.

1. In Excel, select the chart, and then press Ctrl+C or go to Home > Copy.

2. In your Word document, click or tap where you want the chart to appear, and press Ctrl+V
or go to Home > Paste.

Note: The chart is linked to the original Excel spreadsheet. If data in the spreadsheet changes, the
chart updates automatically.

Update a chart

1. In Word, select the chart.

2. Go to Chart Design or Chart Tools Design > Data > Refresh Data.

You can change the design or data for a chart in Word.

Note: You can't edit a chart that was inserted as a picture, but you can adjust it. Select the chart, and
then on Picture Format or Picture Tools Format, choose an option.

Edit a chart in Word

1. Select the chart.

2. Go to Chart Design or Chart Tools Design > Data > Edit Data and choose one of the
following:

▪ Choose Edit Data to edit the chart in Word.

▪ Choose Edit Data in Excel.

Note: For Word 2010 the chart opens in Excel for editing.
You also can modify the chart in Word by using any of the four buttons that appear when you select
the chart.

The buttons are:

▪ Layout Options
Choose how your object interacts with the text around it.

▪ Chart Elements
Add, remove, or change chart elements such as the title, legend, gridlines, and data labels.

▪ Chart Styles
Set a style and color scheme for your chart.

▪ Chart Filters
Edit what data points and names are visible in your chart.

Select any button to view available options.

More ways to insert Excel charts

There are five options for pasting an Excel chart into Word. Two options embed a copy of the whole
workbook, another two keep the chart linked to the original workbook instead of embedding it, and
one converts the chart into a picture. If none of those options do exactly what you want, you also
can select Paste Special.

From Excel

▪ In Excel, select the chart you want to paste into Word, and then press Ctrl+C or go
to Home > Copy.

In Word

▪ In Word, select Home, and in the Paste list, choose one of the five Paste Options.
Note: Hover over a button to read a description of the option.

Paste option Color theme Data refresh

Use Destination Matches Embeds a copy of the Excel workbook with the chart. The
Theme & Embed the Word chart doesn’t stay linked to the original workbook. To
Workbook theme update the chart automatically, change the data in the
embedded workbook.

Keep Source Keeps the Embeds a copy of the Excel workbook with the chart. The
Formatting & Excel chart doesn’t stay linked to the original workbook. To
Embed theme update the chart automatically, change the data in the
Workbook embedded workbook.

Use Destination Matches Keeps the chart linked to the original workbook. To update
Theme & Link the Word the chart automatically, change the data in the original
Data theme workbook. You also can select Chart
Tools > Design > Refresh Data.
This is the default
paste option
(Ctrl+V).

Keep Source Keeps the Keeps the chart linked to the original workbook. To update
Formatting & Excel the chart automatically, change the data in the original
Link Data theme workbook. You also can select Chart
Tools> Design > Refresh Data.

Picture Becomes a You can’t update the data or edit the chart, but you can
picture adjust the chart’s appearance. Under Picture Tools,
select Format.
Link or embed an Excel worksheet in Word

The main differences between linked objects and embedded objects are where the data is stored
and how you update the data after it's inserted in the Word document.

▪ Linked object
Information from a object that is linked in Word is stored in the source file and can be
updated if the source file is modified. Use linked objects if file size is a consideration.

▪ Embedded object
Information from an Excel object that you embed in Word doesn't change if you modify the
source Excel file. Once embedded, the object is no longer part of the source file and won't
reflect any changes made.

1. Go to Insert > Text > Object.

2. Go to Create from file > Browse, and locate the file you want to insert in the Word
document.

3. Choose one of the following:

▪ To add the file as a linked object, select Link to file, and then select OK.

▪ To add the file as an embedded object, select Display as icon, and then select OK.