How to add color to drop menu cells?

**nunu** · 06-12-2009, 01:49 PM

Hi Everyone,
I'm having dificulty in adding different colors to my drop menu

my drop menu cells have different colors but they don't show the backgorund colors when I use the drop menu how do I get the background color to stick

Thank you in advance

**Paul** · 06-12-2009, 02:06 PM

Hi Nunu, and welcome to the forum.

You cannot change the background color of individual rows in your drop-down list. If you're using Data Validation lists, I don't think you can change the background color at all.

If you're using ActiveX objects from the Developer ribbon's Insert menu, you can change the background color of the drop-down list to another color, but not multiple colors based on the cell being referenced.

**nunu** · 06-12-2009, 04:01 PM

Hi Paul,
There’s an excel workbook that one of my suppliers sent to me that has the option I was trying duplicate except my drop menu will only has finished , unfinished and waiting on material jobs with different color background for each one
If you don’t mind I like to send it to you to check it out, let me know if I can
The drop menu am trying to duplicate is on row 12 column E F G & H and the reference cells are on column Y

**Paul** · 06-12-2009, 05:33 PM

Hi Nunu,

Please upload the spreadsheet to the forum and one of us will take a look at it for you.

**nunu** · 06-12-2009, 08:16 PM

The drop menu am trying to duplicate is on row 12 column E F G & H and the reference cells are on column Y

If anyone is interested in this spread sheet is widely used in my industry: Hurricane shutters but it has been altered somewhat from being passed around

I’ve attached it let me know if anyone has any problem viewing it

**nunu** · 06-12-2009, 09:44 PM

Well I figured it out, it’s called “CONDITIONAL FORMATTING”

and it is a beautiful thing

Thanks for the help.

How to add color to each option on your drop down menu using conditional formatting
EXAMPLE: If you are creating a drop menu with each month of the year and want add a color code to each month I think this is the way to go:
1. Create the drop menu
2. Go to the drop menu (not the reference menu cells)
3. Choose first option in drop menu
4. Go to conditional formatting
5. Choose “highlight cells rules
6. Then choose “text that contains
7. Choose a preset color or scroll down and pick a color in custom formatting
8. You must do this to each item on the drop menu

I hope this helps,
Good luck.