Formatting Issues

How to Match or Change a Picture Background Color in Excel

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 874 views

Question details

The user needs a way to seamlessly integrate an imported logo (like DuckDuckGo) with a custom dark red worksheet background in Excel.

Product: Microsoft 365 Excel
Device & OS: Windows 10
Scenario: Inserting and formatting a logo or picture inside a stylized Excel worksheet.
Observed behavior: The background color of the inserted picture does not match the cell background color applied to the surrounding worksheet, causing a mismatched visual appearance.

Before you start

Before adjusting colors in your worksheet, identify the exact HEX or RGB color code of your image's background (e.g., #BA4609) using a basic color picker tool or image editor.

Solution 1Recommended

Match the Excel Cell Color to the Image Background

Since Excel is not an advanced photo editor, the most effective workaround is to change the color of the surrounding cells to match the exact background color of your picture.

Excel does not natively support recoloring complex image backgrounds seamlessly. Instead of attempting to modify the picture itself, you can easily modify the Excel sheet's background fill to perfectly match the logo's specific background color.

Select the surrounding cells

Click and drag to select the Excel cells that are directly behind and around your inserted picture.

Open the Fill Color options

Navigate to the 'Home' tab on the top ribbon and click the dropdown arrow next to the 'Fill Color' (paint bucket) icon.

Access Custom Colors

Click on 'More Colors' at the bottom of the dropdown menu to open the Colors dialog box.

Enter the HEX code

Switch to the 'Custom' tab and type the exact HEX code of your image's background (for example, #BA4609) into the Hex field, then click 'OK' to apply the matching color.

Seamless Blending: By applying the exact HEX code, the border of the image will seamlessly blend into the worksheet, making the picture look completely native to the spreadsheet design.

Solution 2

Remove a Solid Background Using 'Set Transparent Color'

If your inserted image has a completely solid, uniform background color, you can make that specific color transparent so the worksheet's original background shows through.

Easily Format Pictures and Match Backgrounds in WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Spreadsheet provides robust cell customization and picture formatting tools, allowing you to perfectly blend images with your worksheet design with precise HEX color matching.

1. Open your file in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your spreadsheet file.
2. Insert your picture: Click the 'Insert' tab on the top ribbon, select 'Picture', and choose the logo you want to add.
3. Select background cells: Highlight the spreadsheet cells surrounding the newly inserted image.
4. Apply matching fill color: Navigate to 'Home', click the 'Fill Color' dropdown, select 'More Colors', and input the HEX code of the picture's background.

Free to download and use with a highly intuitive user interfaceFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) formatsAdvanced custom color matching for cells using HEX and RGB codesBuilt-in 'Set Transparent Color' tool for quickly removing solid image backgrounds

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit the image directly inside Excel to change its background?

No, Excel is not a dedicated image editor. While it has basic formatting features like cropping or making a single solid color transparent, you cannot fully recolor complex or textured image backgrounds natively within Excel.

Why does the 'Set Transparent Color' tool leave pixelated edges around my logo?

The transparent color tool selects only one exact shade of a color. If your picture is highly compressed (like a standard JPEG) or has anti-aliased edges, the boundary colors vary slightly. This causes the tool to miss those boundary pixels, resulting in a jagged or pixelated edge. A dedicated photo editor is recommended for precise background removal.

How do I find the HEX color code of a picture's background?

You can find the HEX code using free online color picker tools, browser extensions, or standard image editing software like Microsoft Paint, macOS Digital Color Meter, or Photoshop. Simply open the image, use the eyedropper tool on the background, and copy the provided HEX code (e.g., #BA4609).

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