Colouring a Sheet Tab
Right-click a tab and pick Tab Color. Colour coding makes a workbook with many sheets far easier to read.
Colour as a Signpost
In a file with fifteen sheets, colour does what names cannot: it groups them at a glance. Green for data, blue for reports, grey for working sheets.
- Right-click the tab — Choose Tab Color
- Pick a colour — Or a custom one
- Repeat by group — Same colour, same purpose
How to do it
Right-click the sheet tab ▸ Tab Color ▸ pick a colour
The active sheet's tab shows the colour only as a thin underline. Click another tab to see it fully.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Right-click ▸ Tab Color | The only route |
| Theme colours | Match your workbook theme |
| More Colors | Any custom colour |
| No Color | Removes it again |
A Colour System
Right-click ▸ Tab Color ▸ Green
| Colour | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Green | Source data sheets |
| Blue | Finished reports |
| Grey | Working and helper sheets |
| Orange | Sheets needing attention |
| Red | Do not touch |
Result: Colour code
Pick a system, write it on a cover sheet, and use the same colours in every file.
Do this
- Use one colour per purpose, not per sheet
- Keep the same system across all your files
- Still use clear names as well as colour
Avoid
- Using fifteen different colours
- Relying on colour alone to convey meaning
- Changing the system between files
📌 Colour is a hint, not a label. Someone colour blind still needs clear sheet names.
Practice
- Colour three tabs with three colours.
- Click away and see them fully.
- Write your colour system on a cover sheet.
Quick quiz: You coloured the active sheet's tab green but it barely shows. Why?
- The colour did not apply
- The active tab shows its colour only as a thin underline
- Green is not supported
Show answer
Click a different tab ▸ the green tab now shows in full — Excel keeps the active tab white so you can see which one you are on.
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