How to Add a Background Color or Pattern to Cells in Excel 2003

1. Open Microsoft Excel on your computer. You should be able to locate the program by using the 'Start' button. If you can not find it there, use the 'Search' or 'Find' function, or just look for the icon on your desktop.
2. Highlight the cells that you want to emphasize. You can click and drag or click on each cell individually while holding down the 'Ctrl' button. Using the 'Ctrl' button and clicking will allow you to select non-adjacent cells.
3. Look for the tiny paint bucket icon on your tool bar. Use this icon to fill in a cell with a single color. Choose the color by hitting the down arrow on the right of the paint bucket. To select the last color you used or the default color, just click on the paint bucket icon. If you only need one color, you'll be done after clicking 'OK.'
4. Left-click on your cell selection to reveal a drop-down Formatting menu if you want to add a pattern.
5. Choose a color and then click on 'Add Pattern' to customize the color and pattern for the chosen cell(s). Then click 'OK.'
6. Repeat the above steps for all of the different color and pattern combinations that you need. When you want to remove a color or fill pattern, just highlight the cells, click the arrow next to the paint bucket icon and select 'No Fill.'