Rather than choose a different color set for each period in our timeframe, we will work with the option of color scales to color our cells.įirst, go into a new column (column E), calculate the difference in number of days in a year again with the DATEDIF formula and the parameter “yd”. We then construct three rules conditional formatting using formula DATEDIF . Respectively for the three cases the following formulas: In case we want to change the color of cells based on our approach on a date again, we will use conditional formatting to make it work for us. Change the value of the month and the year to see how the calendar has a different format. This example in the Excel Web App below shows the result. If you want to highlight the holidays over the weekends, you move the public holiday rule to the top of the list. Then, in the dialog box Manage Rules, select the range B4:AF11. In this case, we use the formula COUNTIF in order to count if the number of public holidays in the current month is greater than 1. To do that, you need a column with the holidays you’d like to highlight in your workbook (but not necessarily in the same sheet). In our example, we have US public holidays in column AH (as related to the year in the cell B2).Īgain, open the menu Conditional Formatting > New Rule. To enrich the previous workbook, you could also color-code holidays. Note: This example shows the result in the Excel Web App. Now you will see a different color for the weekends. In Applies to, change the range that corresponds to your initial selection when creating your rules to extend it to the whole column. Select This Worksheet to see the worksheet rules instead of the default selection. Then, customize the format of your condition by clicking on the Format button and you choose a fill color (orange in this example).Ĭlick OK, then open Conditional Formatting> Manage Rules Note: In this case, you must lock the reference of the row so that the conditional format will work correctly in the other cells in this table. This parameter is very useful to test for weekends. The parameter 2 means Saturday = 6 and Sunday = 7. In the text box Format values where this formula is true , enter the following WEEKDAY formula to determine whether the cell is a Saturday (6) or Sunday (7): In the next dialog box, select the menu Use a formula to determine which cell to format. To change the color of the weekends, open the menu Conditional Formatting > New Rule Assume that you have the date table–a calendar without conditional formatting:
When you design an automated calendar you don’t need to color the weekends yourself. With the conditional formatting tool, you can automatically change the colors of weekends by basing the format on the WEEKDAY function. If you need to create rules for other dates (e.g., greater than a month from the current date), you can create your own new rule.īelow are step-by-step instructions for a few of my favorite conditional formats for dates. These 10 date options generate rules based on the current date. You can select the following date options, ranging from yesterday to next month: Home > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cell Rules > A Date Occuring.
To find conditional formatting for dates, go to Get Excel The basics of conditional formatting for dates