Delete Gridlines in Excel

Introduction to Excel Gridlines

When working with Microsoft Excel, gridlines are the lines that appear around the cells in a worksheet to help distinguish one cell from another. By default, Excel displays gridlines, which can be helpful for aligning data and making the spreadsheet more readable. However, there are situations where you might want to delete or hide these gridlines, such as when you’re creating a report or a presentation and want a cleaner look.

Why Delete Gridlines in Excel?

There are several reasons why you might want to delete gridlines in Excel: - Aesthetics: For presentations or reports, a gridline-free spreadsheet can look more professional and less cluttered. - Printing: If you’re printing out your spreadsheet, removing gridlines can make the printout look cleaner and easier to read. - Customization: Some users prefer the look of their spreadsheets without gridlines for personal or branding reasons.

How to Delete Gridlines in Excel

Deleting gridlines in Excel is a straightforward process. Here are the steps for different versions of Excel, including Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, and Excel for Mac:

For Windows:

1. Open your Excel spreadsheet.
2. Go to the View tab on the Ribbon.
3. In the Show group, uncheck the Gridlines checkbox.

For Mac:

1. Open your Excel spreadsheet.
2. Go to the Excel menu.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Under Authoring, click on View.
5. Uncheck the box next to Gridlines.

Alternative Method: Using the Options Dialog

If you prefer to adjust settings through the Excel Options dialog, you can also remove gridlines from there:

For Windows:

1. Go to the File tab.
2. Click on Options.
3. In the Excel Options window, click on Advanced on the left.
4. Scroll down to the Display options for this worksheet section.
5. Uncheck the box that says Gridline under the Gridlines heading.

For Mac:

The process is slightly different, and as of my last update, the direct option to disable gridlines through preferences is more straightforward, as mentioned earlier.

Printing Without Gridlines

If you only want to remove gridlines when printing and not from the on-screen view, you can do so through the Page Setup options: - Go to the Page Layout tab. - Click on Page Setup in the Page Setup group. - In the Page Setup dialog, go to the Sheet tab. - Under Print, uncheck the Gridlines checkbox. - Click OK.

💡 Note: When you remove gridlines for printing, it doesn't affect the on-screen display of your spreadsheet.

Customizing Gridlines

If completely removing gridlines isn’t what you’re looking for, you can also customize their appearance. Excel allows you to change the color of gridlines, which can be useful for making your spreadsheet more visually appealing or for distinguishing between different sections of your worksheet: - Select the entire worksheet by pressing Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac). - Right-click on the selected area and choose Format Cells. - In the Format Cells dialog, go to the Border tab. - Choose a line style and color for your gridlines.

Conclusion Summary

Removing gridlines in Excel can enhance the appearance of your spreadsheets, especially for presentation or printing purposes. By following the simple steps outlined above, you can easily hide or customize gridlines to suit your needs. Whether you’re working on a Windows PC or a Mac, Excel provides straightforward options to manage gridlines, contributing to a more polished and professional finish to your work.