# Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum > Excel Formulas & Functions >  >  Conditional Formatting - Thick Border?

## fedude

When I go to use conditional formatting I find I can only use a subset of the
normal border line thicknesses.  Is there any way to select a thicker border
when using conditional formatting?

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## Debra Dalgleish

No, you can only use the borders that are shown in the conditional
formatting dialog box. Conditional formatting options don't include
anything that might change the row height.

fedude wrote:
> When I go to use conditional formatting I find I can only use a subset of the
> normal border line thicknesses.  Is there any way to select a thicker border
> when using conditional formatting?


--
Debra Dalgleish
Contextures
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html

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## fedude

Well that stinks!    Thanks for the info Deb.

"Debra Dalgleish" wrote:

> No, you can only use the borders that are shown in the conditional
> formatting dialog box. Conditional formatting options don't include
> anything that might change the row height.
>
> fedude wrote:
> > When I go to use conditional formatting I find I can only use a subset of the
> > normal border line thicknesses.  Is there any way to select a thicker border
> > when using conditional formatting?
>
>
> --
> Debra Dalgleish
> Contextures
> http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html
>
>

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## Fancy1

fedude wrote:
> Well that stinks!    Thanks for the info Deb.
>
> "Debra Dalgleish" wrote:
>
>
>>No, you can only use the borders that are shown in the conditional
>>formatting dialog box. Conditional formatting options don't include
>>anything that might change the row height.
>>
>>fedude wrote:
>>
>>>When I go to use conditional formatting I find I can only use a subset of the
>>>normal border line thicknesses.  Is there any way to select a thicker border
>>>when using conditional formatting?
>>
>>
>>--
>>Debra Dalgleish
>>Contextures
>>http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html
>>
>>
I discovered that if you click on the Borders icon on the Formatting
toolbar, click on Draw Borders . . . you can change the borders as thick
as you want. Yes, you will have to go over the cells by hand, but the
borders are definitely thicker!!

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## fedude

Deb,

Sounds like you found something however, your description lost me.  The draw
borders icon on the formatting toolbar only allows you to select a border
position.  I don't see what you are refering to when you say "Draw Borders"

In the normal cell formatting menu when I select the borders tab, I can
select a line thicknes.  If I select a thick line, when I leave this dialog,
I can now use the borders icon on the formatting toolbar to put a thick
border around a ceell by just using the toolbar selection.  And this works
well,however, if I select a cell that has conditional formatting on it, it
always defaults to a thin line border.

Is this what you were refering to?

"Fancy1" wrote:

> fedude wrote:
> > Well that stinks!    Thanks for the info Deb.
> >
> > "Debra Dalgleish" wrote:
> >
> >
> >>No, you can only use the borders that are shown in the conditional
> >>formatting dialog box. Conditional formatting options don't include
> >>anything that might change the row height.
> >>
> >>fedude wrote:
> >>
> >>>When I go to use conditional formatting I find I can only use a subset of the
> >>>normal border line thicknesses.  Is there any way to select a thicker border
> >>>when using conditional formatting?
> >>
> >>
> >>--
> >>Debra Dalgleish
> >>Contextures
> >>http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html
> >>
> >>
> I discovered that if you click on the Borders icon on the Formatting
> toolbar, click on Draw Borders . . . you can change the borders as thick
> as you want. Yes, you will have to go over the cells by hand, but the
> borders are definitely thicker!!
>

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## Debra Dalgleish

The message about using the Draw Borders toolbar was from Fancy1, not
from me. And it doesn't help with conditional formatting of borders.

fedude wrote:
> Deb,
>
> Sounds like you found something however, your description lost me.  The draw
> borders icon on the formatting toolbar only allows you to select a border
> position.  I don't see what you are refering to when you say "Draw Borders"
>
> In the normal cell formatting menu when I select the borders tab, I can
> select a line thicknes.  If I select a thick line, when I leave this dialog,
> I can now use the borders icon on the formatting toolbar to put a thick
> border around a ceell by just using the toolbar selection.  And this works
> well,however, if I select a cell that has conditional formatting on it, it
> always defaults to a thin line border.
>
> Is this what you were refering to?
>
> "Fancy1" wrote:
>
>
>>fedude wrote:
>>
>>>Well that stinks!    Thanks for the info Deb.
>>>
>>>"Debra Dalgleish" wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>No, you can only use the borders that are shown in the conditional
>>>>formatting dialog box. Conditional formatting options don't include
>>>>anything that might change the row height.
>>>>
>>>>fedude wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>When I go to use conditional formatting I find I can only use a subset of the
>>>>>normal border line thicknesses.  Is there any way to select a thicker border
>>>>>when using conditional formatting?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>Debra Dalgleish
>>>>Contextures
>>>>http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>I discovered that if you click on the Borders icon on the Formatting
>>toolbar, click on Draw Borders . . . you can change the borders as thick
>>as you want. Yes, you will have to go over the cells by hand, but the
>>borders are definitely thicker!!
>>
>


--
Debra Dalgleish
Contextures
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html

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## Zetareticuli

Although excel doesn't seem to support it, there are two workarounds to conditionally use thicker borders on a cell.

1) Use a VBA script to trigger on "change" events. Parse the page and apply formatting as per your pre-determined criteria.

2) Apply thick borders to ALL cells and apply standard borders to the cells which do not meet your criteria.

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## malkusm

Apologies for bumping an old thread but I searched and found this, then came up with my own workaround which was not listed here

You could just set the default cell format with thick borders in the usual way, and then define the conditional formatting to remove those borders. In other words, if you were trying to get thick borders conditional on $A$1="Apple", then you could set a rule which removes all borders conditional on $A$1<>"Apple".

Since you have the ability to create thick borders outside of conditional formatting but not within, simply reverse the logic of the condition.  :Smilie:

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## Cutter

I think that was the point made in method 2 of post #7.

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## BigJoke

I see this is an old thread, but I only found it as I trying to solve the same issue.
I found an easier method.
Rather than formatting all cells to have a thicker border, simply adjust only the cells you wish to change:
1) In Conditional formatting, go to the border option and hit Clear (bottom right). You may have to click None or other way to achieve the border lines becoming GREYED OUT as opposed to simply blank.
2) Save and exit Conditional Formatting.
3) With cell selected, go to Format Cells, Borders. Now, you can manually select the borders you want to adjust, and then specify color, style, thickness, etc.
4) Save and exit Cell Formatting.

NOTE: If you want to keep certain borders Conditionally Formatted with the default thickness, simply select those borders once they are greyed out as in step 1.

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## Silica190

I choose option 2 real easy and it appeals reversing the logic. I read it here before I had time to think it through. Thank you

Zetareticuli 
Re: Conditional Formatting - Thick Border?
Although excel doesn't seem to support it, there are two workarounds to conditionally use thicker borders on a cell.

1) Use a VBA script to trigger on "change" events. Parse the page and apply formatting as per your pre-determined criteria.

2) Apply thick borders to ALL cells and apply standard borders to the cells which do not meet your criteria.

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