Selecting color cells instead of text in dropdown list

**rodabash** · 01-17-2013, 03:33 PM

I want to make a dropdown list that contains colored cells instead of text. When a person selects a cell on a worksheet, he will have an option to select a color cell. Once selected, the color fills the cell.

Is there a way to do this in Excel 2010?

**JBeaucaire** · 01-17-2013, 03:42 PM

Assuming the "color cell" is a drop down with a list of colors (red, blue, green, yellow, orange), then you would use conditional formatting in that cell or an adjacent cell to watch the text value being selected in that cell and apply a color that matches the text. You would have to create a CF rule for each color option.

**rodabash** · 01-17-2013, 04:10 PM

Thank you, I tried this and it worked.

1) Click on cell with drop down list.
2) Select which answer to apply format to.
3) Click on "Home" tab, then click the "Styles" tool button on the ribbon.
4) Click "Conditional Formatting", in drop down list click the "*New Rule" option.
5) Select a Rule Type: "Format only cells that contain"
6) Edit the Rule Description: "Cell Value", "equal to", click the cell formula icon in the formula bar (far right), select which worksheet the validation list was created in, select the cell within the list to which you wish to apply the formatting.
7) Click the formula icon again to return to format menu.
8) Click on Format button beside preview pane.
9) Select all format options desired.
10) Press "OK" twice.