Alternate Background Colors Between Vertical Grid Lines

Hello,

you can create a column chart with the same number of values on the x axis as the other data series. The values alternate between 1 and 0. Create a column chart with that data. Add your other data series to the chart and send them to the secondary axis.

Now the first data series is in the background. Set its Y axis to maximum of 1, set the series to have no gap and there is your banded background.

Since the main data is on the secondary axis, you need to format the secondary Y axis to cross at the minimum date.

see attached.

For more ideas about color banding chart backgrounds, see http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/BackgroundFill.html

cheers,