Catalog

How to Highlight Text and Cells in Excel Using WPS Office? (6 Common Methods)

February 1, 2024 3.4K views

Excel is such a useful tool that is ingrained in our daily routines for efficient data handling. And WPS Office's spreadsheet tool enhances this experience with plenty of impressive features. The highlighting feature emerges as a game-changer, allowing users to accentuate specific values or data points for enhanced emphasis. In this guide, we delve into 5 unique methods, offering a comprehensive exploration of how to highlight in excel using WPS Office.

How to Highlight Text and Cells in Excel Using WPS Office?

Method 1: Color the Background

The easiest way to highlight a cell in Excel using WPS Office is by using the Fill Color tool. This tool simply fills the cell with the color of your choice, creating a visual highlight for your data. Let's see how to highlight cells and change the highlight color in Excel using WPS Office:

Step 1: Open your spreadsheet in WPS Office and click on the cell that you wish to highlight.

WPS Spreadsheet select cell

Step 2: Go to the Home tab and locate the Fill Color icon within the Fonts section.

Step 3: Click on the Fill Color tool, this will instantly fill the selected cell with the currently set color.

WPS Spreadsheet Fill Color

Step 4: To change the highlight color, click on the arrow next to the Fill Color icon. This will expand a list of available color options.

Step 5: If you don't find the desired color among the default options, click on "More Colors" to access a wider range of custom colors.

WPS Spreadsheet More Fill Color options

Method 2: Change Cell Styles

The next option for highlight in Excel using WPS Office involves utilizing cell styles provided by WPS Office. WPS Office offers a variety of cell styles to choose from, and here is where to find them:

Step 1: To begin, select the cell that you want to highlight.

Step 2: Cell styles are located in the Home tab, right next to the Conditional Formatting button.

WPS Spreadsheet Cell Styles

Step 3: Click on the Cell Styles icon to expand the different styles available for highlighting.

Step 4: Choose the style that best suits your needs. Ensure that highlighting does not adversely affect the visibility of your text.

WPS Spreadsheet Cell Styles option

Note: When you choose a cell style to highlight a cell, the text in your cell will change to the default font associated with that style. Therefore, make sure to format your cell afterward to ensure the desired font is applied.

WPS Spreadsheet Format cells

Method 3: Change Text Color

Next up in the list is a method to highlight text in Excel using WPS Office. Let's get right into the steps on how we can make our text stand out in WPS Office:

Step 1: Firstly, we need to select the cell containing the text that we want to highlight in WPS Office.

Step 2: Now, navigate to the Home tab and find the Text Color icon located in the font section.

WPS Spreadsheet Text color

Step 3: If you click on the icon, you will notice no change as the preselected color is already applied to the selected cell; by default, the font color is set to black.

Step 4: In order to highlight text, click on the arrow on the Text Color icon; this will expand a list of color options available for you to highlight your text.

Step 5: If the color you're looking for is not available, click on "More Colors". WPS Office provides a wide range of colors to choose from and also allows users to select a custom color.

WPS Spreadsheet Text Color options

Method 4: Using Conditional Formatting

Also in the list is a method to highlight cells in Excel using WPS Office based upon certain conditions. Conditional Formatting in WPS Office's Excel provides users with powerful tools to visually enhance data analysis and presentation. There are five main functions within Conditional Formatting, and we will be looking at each and how they can be effective while highlighting cells in Excel using WPS Office.

To better understand conditional formatting, we will be using an example dataset containing a list of items and their sales. We will be applying conditional formatting to the Sales column to highlight cells based on different conditions.

WPS Spreadsheet example dataset

Step 1: Start by selecting all the cells in the Sales column in our dataset.

WPS Spreadsheet select a column

Step 2: Next, the Conditional Formatting option is located in the Home tab. Click on the Conditional Formatting button to view the different preset conditions available to choose from.

WPS Spreadsheet Conditional Formatting option

Step 3: As mentioned, there are 5 preset conditions that users can choose from to apply conditional formatting.

Step 4: The first is "Highlight Cells Rules", click on it and select a condition from the flyout menu.

WPS Spreadsheet Highlight Cells rules

Step 5: Now, we can modify this preset condition. For example, we can select the highlight color and also set the reference value to compare our cell values.

WPS Spreadsheet change Highlight Cells rules

Step 6: In addition to that, we have "Top/Bottom Rules", which allows us to highlight cells based on their order. Click on it to expand the preset conditions.

WPS Spreadsheet Top/Bottom Rules

Step 7: If, for example, we select "Top 10 items", we can modify the highlight color as well as the number of entries to highlight.

WPS Spreadsheet change Top/Bottom Rules

Note: There's no hard and fast rule that the condition needs to be set to the top 10 only; it can be adjusted to the top 5 or any other desired number

Step 8: Others in the list are Data Bars, Color Scales, and Icon Sets, each providing a unique condition to highlight cells in WPS Office.

WPS Spreadsheet Other Conditional Formatting options

Step 9: Users can also set up their own custom rules to highlight cells in WPS Spreadsheet. To do this, simply click on the "New Rule" option.

WPS Spreadsheet Set New Rules for Conditional Formatting

Step 10: In the New Formatting Rule window, set up conditions according to what you need to highlight, making your data clearer and easier to understand for your audience.

WPS Spreadsheet New Formatting Rule window

Step 11: To manage previously set rules, simply click on the "Manage Rule" option.

WPS Spreadsheet Manage Conditional Formatting Rules

WPS Spreadsheet Manage Conditional Formatting Rules

Method 5: Make a Table

We can also highlight Excel using WPS Office by formatting the sheet as a table. This option is available right next to the conditional formatting and can help users transform their simple data into a table, highlighting headers from the rest.

Step 1: Open your Excel spreadsheet in WPS Office and select the rows and columns that you wish to format as a table.

Step 2: Click on the "Format As a Table" icon in the Home tab, right next to the conditional formatting button.

WPS Spreadsheet Format As a Table

WPS Spreadsheet Format As a Table

Step 3: Users can choose from a list of preset table styles and also select a color theme for their table.

WPS Spreadsheet Pre-set Table styles and color

WPS Spreadsheet Pre-set Table styles and color

Note: Users can also create their own table style by clicking on the "New Table Style" option in the list.

Step 4: In the Format As a Table window, make any changes that you wish to customize your table formatting.

WPS Spreadsheet Format As a Table window

WPS Spreadsheet Format As a Table window

Note: By default, WPS Spreadsheet assumes your selection has headers included, so when it formats the table, it highlights the first cells as headers for your table.

WPS Spreadsheet Format Data as Table

WPS Spreadsheet Format Data as Table

Method 6: Insert a Shape

The last option in the list is a little unconventional but gets the job done; it is to insert a shape to highlight in Excel using WPS Office. Let's take a look at how this can be made possible.

Step 1: Open your Excel spreadsheet in WPS Office and navigate to the "Insert" tab.

Step 2: Click on the "Shapes" option in the toolbar and choose the shape you want to use for highlighting, such as a rectangle or an arrow.

 WPS Spreadsheet insert shapes

WPS Spreadsheet insert shapes

Step 3: Click and drag on the spreadsheet to draw the shape around the cells you wish to highlight.

Step 4: After placing the shape, right-click to open the context menu and click on "Format Object".

WPS Spreadsheet Format Object

WPS Spreadsheet Format Object

Step 5: A formatting panel will open on the right; go to the "Fill & Line" tab and expand the "Fill" heading.

Step 6: Here, use the toggle to adjust the transparency of the shape to make the text in the cell visible.

WPS Spreadsheet adjust transparency of shape

WPS Spreadsheet adjust transparency of shape
WPS Spreadsheet adjust transparency of shape

Method

Pros

Cons

Color the Background

Quick and simple highlighting

Limited customization options for visual effects.

Change Cell Styles

Provides various pre-designed styles

May change font features, requiring additional formatting

Change Text Color

Easy text emphasis

Limited to text color; no background highlighting

Conditional Formatting

Powerful and dynamic highlighting options

Initial learning curve for using various conditions

Make a Table

Organizes data into a structured table

Limited to table formatting, may not suit all data types

Insert a Shape

Unconventional but customizable highlighting

Requires additional steps compared to standard methods

 WPS Office Highlighting a cell method comparison

Highlight with Ease Using WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Office redefines simplicity, making spreadsheet tasks effortlessly manageable for both professionals and novices. Navigating through complex spreadsheets becomes as easy as a child's play, thanks to its user-friendly interface and advanced features readily available. Professionals find a reliable ally in WPS Office, where the highlight feature stands out, aiding in emphasizing critical data points effortlessly.

WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Spreadsheet

Whether you're showcasing your expertise or tackling new challenges, WPS Office ensures a seamless experience, turning work into an exciting endeavor. Embrace the efficiency and excitement of WPS Office, where professionalism meets playfulness.

Trustpilotstars4.8
WPS Office- Free All-in-One Office Suite
  • Use Word, Excel, and PPT for FREE, No Ads.

  • Edit PDF files with the powerful PDF toolkit.

  • Microsoft-like interface. Easy to learn. 100% Compatibility.

  • Boost your productivity with WPS's abundant free Word, Excel, PPT, and CV templates.

5,820,008 User
avator
Algirdas Jasaitis
logo

FAQs

Q1. Can I remove the highlight in the WPS Spreadsheet?

Yes, you can easily remove the highlight using one of the following methods:

  • Undo Feature: Click on the "Undo" button to eliminate the highlight. This will revert the content to its previous state, removing the unintended highlight.

  • Clear Formatting Option: An alternative method is the "Clear Formatting" feature available in the Home tab. This function allows you to erase the highlighted formats, restoring the content to its original format.

Q2. Can I use different colors for highlighting text or cells in WPS Office Excel?

Yes, you can use different colors for highlighting in WPS Office Excel. WPS Office Excel offers a range of colors for highlighting. It means you can select from various hues to make your cells or text stand out in lively colors according to your preference.

Q3. Does highlighting affect the actual text or cells in WPS Office Excel?

No, it doesn't. Highlighting in Excel is a visual tool and formatting feature that lets you emphasize specific cells, rows, or columns without changing the actual text or data.

Excel At Data Handling With WPS Office

The spreadsheet tool in WPS Office offers a plethora of features, catering to both basic functions and advanced capabilities. This versatility is particularly advantageous for professionals in data-centric fields like finance, accounts, or analysis. The highlight feature, a valuable component, is beneficial for users at all skill levels, whether beginners or seasoned professionals. As you master the art of how to highlight in excel using WPS Office, you'll uncover more uses that enhance your data handling experience. Elevate your data management capabilities by downloading WPS Office today.


15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.