By default, all Excel spreadsheets have gridlines. These are lines you can see, the horizontal and vertical faint lines, which divide the worksheets into cells. The gridlines help the users to organize the data into rows and columns. They guide the users to differentiate between the specific cells and be able to read the data in an organized manner. The user is also able to navigate through the rows and columns with much ease.
Even though it applies by default to the workbook or the whole worksheet. You can be able to remove gridlines in excel outside the table in the following simple steps.
Removing gridlines outside the table by inserting a border.
1. Launch Excel and open the worksheet that you want to remove gridlines
2. Click any cell on the worksheet
3. Click on the Page Layout tab of the main menu ribbon.
4. In the Cells group, click on the Sheet options
5. Under gridlines, unselect View
Afterward, you will notice the gridlines have been turned off. There are no gridlines in your worksheet.
6. You can now use borders to put gridlines back on your table. Select your table
7. Click on the Home tab of the main menu ribbon.
8. In the Cells group, click on the Cell options, choose borders and select all borders to add lines
Removing gridlines by applying background fill outside the table
The other way that you can remove gridlines outside the table is by applying white fill color outside the table. You can apply a fill color at the specific regions outside the table on the worksheet. It can also be done to the entire worksheet, and you will be able to remove the gridlines.
1. In an open excel worksheet, select a region outside the table.
2. Click on the Home tab of the main menu ribbon.
3. In the Fonts group, click on the Theme colors options
4. Choose the White background 1 from the list to remove gridlines.
Removing gridlines using No fill option
You can choose the No Fill option when you want to remove gridlines outside the table. What you have to do is just apply the Fill Color to the entire worksheet and the apply No fill option on the table.
1. First, click anywhere outside the table and press Ctrl+A, and select all the cells in the worksheet.
2. Click on the Home tab of the main menu ribbon.
3. In the Fonts group, click on the Theme colors options
4. Choose White background 1 from the list to remove gridlines on the entire worksheet.
5. Then click on the table, press Ctrl+A and select all the cells in the table.
6. Click on the Home tab of the main menu ribbon.
7. In the Fonts group, click on the Theme colors options
8. Choose the No fill options from the list to make the gridlines visible again in the table.
If you want to find out how to print your excel table with gridlines, take a look at this article.
Removing gridlines using by using Hide columns
2. Then press Ctrl+Shift+Right to select everything on the right of the table.
3. Click on the Home tab of the main menu ribbon.
4. In the Cells group, click on the Cell options
5. Click Format and then click Hide& Unhide
6. You can then select Hide Columns
7. Select A13.
8. Then press Ctrl+Shift+Down to select everything below the table.
9. Click on the Home tab of the main menu ribbon.
10. In the Cells group, click on the Cell options.
11. Click Format and then click Hide& Unhide.
12. You can then select Hide Rows.
How to remove all gridlines in Excel
Sometimes you might want to remove gridlines in the whole workbook. If that’s the case follow these simple steps.
1. Click on the cell with a triangle in the top left corner. (This will select all the cells in the document)
2. Click on view then untick gridlines. (All the gridlines will be removed. )
How to show or hide gridlines in Excel for Mac
Sometimes the Excel features for Mac may be placed in different locations compared to Windows. Here is how to show or hide gridlines in Excel for Mac.
1. Select all the cells by clicking on the top left cell
2. Navigate to the view tab
3. Untick the gridlines check box.
To add or remove gridlines on multiple sheets at once select all cells in one sheet that hold down the ctrl button. Next, select the sheets as you hold down ctrl and then check or uncheck the checkbox to add or remove gridlines.
How to change the color of Excel gridlines
Excel gridlines are gray by default. You can change the to anything you want following these simple steps.
1. Click on file>>options>>Advanced
2. navigate to display options for this worksheet
3. Choose a gridline color
4. Click okay to apply and save changes