SubscribeHide Grid Lines [Quick Tip]
I like to hide grid lines on my spreadsheets and charts whenever possible. I think removing gridlines makes the charts and worksheets more presentable. In case you are wondering how to remove (or hide) gridlines,
To hide grid lines on an excel worksheet:
Excel 2007 and greater: Go to View Ribbon and uncheck the “Gridlines” option. You can also press ALT + WVG
Excel 2003 and earlier: Click on Tools > Options and then in the View tab uncheck “grid lines” option.
To hide grid lines when you are printing an excel sheet:
Excel 2007 and greater: Go to Page Layout Ribbon and uncheck the “Print” option under Gridlines area. You can also press ALT + PPG
Excel 2003 and earlier: Go to “Print Preview” and uncheck “gridlines” in “Print” tab.
To Remove grid lines from a chart:
Select the gridlines in the chart and hit delete.
What do you think about gridlines ?
Do you like them or do you try to remove then whenever you can?
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At Pointy Haired Dilbert, I have one goal, "to make you awesome in excel and charting". PHD is started in 2007 and today has 300+ articles and tutorials on using excel, making better charts. 
I hate it when my colleagues try to hide gridlines by *painting the cells white*, so I show them where they can find the “Toggle Grid” button and add it to their toolbars. You can find it in View.. Toolbars.. Customize.. Forms, then drag it into a toolbar of your choice.
Now they don’t even have to go into Tools.. Options, they can just click on the button.
Good advice – I think removing the grid lines makes your presentation much more professional.
Derek – thanks for the tip.
I like or hate Grid lines depends on the file that I’m working on.
If it’s something like chart’s or auto shapes or something which I want to highlight, I switch off the GRID.
I also use the same method mentioned by Derek, Toggle Grid.
I totally agree. I find it easier to be more creative to create sheets absent all the lines. I certainly like both the screen and print outcome – especially if the area outside the table is included in the print area.
You could consider creating a personal.xls file in the Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART directory in which you default switch of the gridlines of the sheets.
Every time you start Excel it will open this personal.xls file as the starting workbook with all your personal settings (also convenient for page options, print headers etc.).
@Derek: Very cool tip.
@Daan: That is a very good idea. Along with this, I also use templates for frequently used workbook formats and settings. For eg. all the downloadable workbooks on this website have same format. So I made a template and use it when I want to create a new workbook for uploading on PHD.
Chandoo: I like the template that you use. It looks so professional.
I hate stuff that people make just for the sake of making the document.
But such professional touch adds much more value to the document, which everyone doesn’t know.
thanks
Chan,
Grid lines are like private hair. Get rid of them at each chance.
@Jay.. yeah they are like pubic hair, dont make them public.
cant resist the quip…
9 times out of 10 I am either hiding or softening grid lines.
In Excel 2003 – Click on the button Toggle Grid (Available in Category Forms)
In Excel 2007 – Click on the button View Grid Lines (Toggles) – Available in the “Command well”
While somewhat awkward, you can toggle the grid liines on and off via the keyboard for XL2003 (and earlier I presume)…
(Alt+T)OV(Alt+G)[Enter]