Gridlines In Excel

What Are The Gridlines In Excel?

The gridlines in Excel are the vertical and horizontal lines that run across the worksheet and define the cells’ dimensions to differentiate the cells from each other. And we can use the Gridlines option in Excel to add and remove gridlines to and from one or more worksheets simultaneously.

Users can utilize the gridlines to identify cells and make data appear organized and more appealing in a worksheet.

For example, the image below shows a dataset in a worksheet.

And the task is to show gridlines in Excel worksheet shown above.

Then, we can use the Gridlines option in the View tab to insert the gridlines in the given sheet.

In the above insert gridlines in Excel example, we select the View tab and check the Gridlines option checkbox.

And the above step will show the gridlines in a faint grey shade across the worksheet.

Gridlines In Excel Explained

Gridlines define the rows, columns and cell boundaries in a worksheet. They help organize, track, and distinguish the data in each cell clearly, which enables one to perform the required calculations hassle-free and error-free.

However, when we color a cell’s background using the Fill Color option in the Home tab, the gridlines disappear on the four sides of the cell. In such scenarios, we can change the color of the gridlines using the Gridline color option in the Advanced tab in the Excel Options window to make them stand out. Otherwise, we can set Fill Color as No Fill.

Furthermore, while we can add or remove them, hiding and printing gridlines is also possible.

#1 – How To Add Gridlines In Excel Worksheet?

The steps to add or insert gridlines in Excel worksheet are as follows:

• Select the View tab – Check the Gridlines checkbox to view the gridlines in the worksheet.

[Alternatively, we can choose the Page Layout tab – check the View checkbox under the Gridlines option.

Otherwise, use the keyboard shortcut Alt + W + VG.

The above action will show gridlines in Excel worksheet.]

Basic Example

The following image shows a worksheet without gridlines.

Then, we can add gridlines in the worksheet using the following steps:

Step 1: Select the View tab – Check the Gridlines checkbox.

And once we check the specified checkbox, we will see the gridlines in the current sheet.

[Alternatively, choose the Page Layout tab – Check the View checkbox under the Gridlines option.

And once we check the specified checkbox, we will see the gridlines in the current sheet, as shown above.]

#2 – How To Remove Gridlines From Entire Worksheet?

The steps to remove gridlines from the entire worksheet are as follows:

• Select the View tab – Uncheck the Gridlines checkbox to remove the gridlines from the worksheet.

[Alternatively, we can choose the Page Layout tab – Uncheck the View checkbox under the Gridlines option to remove gridlines in the worksheet.

Otherwise, use the keyboard shortcut to remove gridlines in Excel, Alt + W + VG.]

Basic Example

The following image shows a worksheet with gridlines.

Then, we can remove gridlines in the worksheet using the following steps:

Step 1: Select the View tab – Uncheck the Gridlines checkbox.

And once we uncheck the specified checkbox, we will see the current sheet without gridlines.

[Otherwise, we can use the shortcut to remove gridlines in Excel, Alt + W + VG.

Alternatively, choose the Page Layout tab – Uncheck the View checkbox under the Gridlines option.

And once we uncheck the specified checkbox, the current sheet will appear without gridlines, as shown above.]

#3 – How To Hide Gridlines From The Specific Or Particular Cell?

The method to hide gridlines from the particular cell is as follows:

• Select the required cell.
• Right-click or press Ctrl + 1 to open the context menu and select Format Cells.
• The Excel Format Cells window will open. Click on the Border tab.

• Set the Color field in the Line section as White and select Outline and Inside in the Presets section in the Border tab.

• Click OK to view the selected cell without gridlines.

Basic Example

The image below shows a dataset in a worksheet with gridlines.

And if we must hide the gridlines for cells A2:C16. Then, we can use the Format Cells option to achieve the required outcome.

Step 1: Choose cell A2. And while pressing the mouse’s left key, drag the mouse across columns B and C cells to select the required cells A2:C16.

And then, right-click over the chosen cell range to access the context menu and select Format Cells from it.

Step 2: The Format Cells window will open. Click the Border tab to open it.

And then, click on the Color field drop-down button in the Line section and select White.

Next, select the Outline and Inside options, one by one, in the Presets section.

Finally, clicking OK in the Format Cells window will show the chosen cells with the gridlines hidden in the sheet. However, the gridlines will be visible for the remaining cells in the worksheet.

#4 – How To Print Excel Sheet With Gridlines?

When printing worksheet data, we may face the issue of missing gridlines in Excel. The following steps will help us print the Excel sheet data with gridlines in such a scenario.

• Choose the Page Layout tab – Check the Print checkbox under the Gridlines option. Otherwise, press Alt + P + PG to select the Print checkbox.

• Press Ctrl + P for a print preview of the Excel sheet with gridlines.
• Click Print to print the Excel data with gridlines.

Basic Example

The following image shows a dataset in a worksheet with gridlines.

But when we press Ctrl + P to print the sheet data, we face the issue of missing gridlines in Excel, which the print preview confirms.

Thus, here is how we can print the Excel sheet with gridlines.

Step 1: Choose the Page Layout tab and check the Print checkbox under the Gridlines option.

Step 2: Press Ctrl + P for a print preview of the Excel sheet data we need to print.

The print preview shows the Excel sheet data with the gridlines.

Step 3: Finally, we can click Print to print the Excel data with gridlines.

Please note that we can uncheck the View checkbox and select only the Print checkbox under the Gridlines option in the Page Layout tab. Then, the Excel sheet will appear without gridlines. But when we press Ctrl + P for the print preview, we will find the print-ready sheet data with the gridlines.

Benefits

The benefits of gridlines in worksheets are as follows:

• Gridlines help define cell dimensions without applying any borders.
• While the gridlines feature is optional, we can customize them based on visibility and color to fit our data display and printing requirements.
• Gridlines make data more presentable and easier to interpret.

Drawbacks

The drawbacks of gridlines in worksheets are as follows:

• Adding, removing, or hiding gridlines in a sheet, or applying the settings to print a worksheet with gridlines, does not automatically apply to the other sheets in the file. We must select all the required sheets and apply the gridline settings to achieve the required results.
• The chosen gridlines settings apply to the entire worksheet. And we can update gridlines settings for specific cells using the Border options.
• Applying background color in a cell or setting cell borders in White leads to the gridlines not being visible along the four sides of the specific cell.
• Unlike borders, gridlines do not get printed automatically. We must manually enable the option to print worksheets with gridlines.

Important Things To Note

• The keyboard shortcut to add or remove gridlines in Excel is Alt + W + VG.
• The gridlines will not be visible in a worksheet even after enabling them when they are White, the cells have background colors, or the cell borders are White.
• Modifying the gridlines settings applies only to the chosen worksheets, with the remaining sheets in the workbook showing gridlines in the default format.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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This has been a guide to What Are Gridlines In Excel. We learn how to add, remove, hide, and print gridlines in Excel with examples and points to remember. You can learn more from the following articles –

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