How to Darken the Selection in Microsoft Excel

1. Select the column or columns of data with your mouse. If you want to select all of the columns, position your mouse on top of the first column letter (usually column A), click, and drag it across to the last column. This will select everything in your spreadsheet.
2. Click the 'Home' tab and select the 'Cell Styles' option. You will see a listing of various cell themes.
3. Choose one of the cell themes that are listed at 20 percent opacity from the list of cell style options. From now on, when you select the cells in your worksheet, the selection box will be darker and easier to distinguish. Leave this formatting on your worksheet until you are finished working with the file and ready to save the document.
4. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of your worksheet to scroll over until you find a column that has the default Excel background and text formatting. Select the column (as you did in step one) and double-click the 'Format Painter' button on the 'Home' tab. Then click and drag your mouse across the column letters in your spreadsheet--this will return your worksheet to the default formatting.