I had merged a few cells. Then I no longer needed the merge so I unmerged them. I found it odd that though they had been unmerged the border lines, both horizontal and vertical had disappeared. I clicked on the border button and put them back there. However, such lines are now black. How do I get them back to their original default color which appears to be blue.
I have office 2010.
Thank you

Select the color in the Format Cells dialog under the Borders tab. See attached picture.

Attached Images

Capture.PNG (39.5 KB, 22 views)

Thanks for your help. If I click on the border button or format button the same result come about; that is to say I no longer have the option to choose all borders (horiz/vertic lines) assuming this is because they are already there. Therefore when I click on the color choice, as you showed nothing happens. I am assuming this is because you are actually choosing nothing to add color to and yet the choice to choose something doesn't exist.

Hi,

Sounds odd that the borderlines disapear, though I don't know, how the cells have been merged.
Anyway:
Generally you can't add colors to existing borderlines with the dialog shown by gebobs. Choose the color first and add borderlines of your choice afterwards. In excel2010 there's a new feature which can be selected on rightclick to a cell. Then you can manually color existing borderlines with the pencil.

I highlight the 6 cells. I click on the "Draw border grid'' icon and then choose 'Draw border' a bunch of dots show up elsewhere, a pencil icon, I try to draw using it and nothing happens. I try it a 2nd time and it works but I need to repeat the process somehow since it seems to want to do only one set at a time (1st just the outline, then the inner vertical ones and then the inner horizontal ones). Anyhow it worked. Thank you

Part of my original question remains though: Since the default (not mine but Excel's) seems to be blue lines, why do they disappear when you remerge? and why do they become black when you put them back manually? I find this ridiculous--but what do I know :-)

As far as I know borderlines' colors are by default black and you can't change this. Nontheless by unmerging cells they shouldn't change color but remain the color choosen.

But don't expect too much of Excel when merged cells are involved. This feature quite often is causing trouble

In my opinion you are much better off, in using the main dialog for cells formating, as shown in the picture above, instead using the pencil. Just remember to first choose color and style, and apply afterwards the bordersections. It doesn't matter if borders partly exists you simply overwrite them bei clicking the sections.

As far as my memory serves I did nothing to change its defaults especially since it's software I only use about once a month. Therefore, assuming I am right in not having changed anything, my version of Excel 2010 has as default blue as its lines--the same blue as is seen here.

"Lines" ...

Just to make sure: You're talking about borderlines you manually add to selected cells and not about the gridlines every sheet comes with?

Thanks whatsup,
I wasn't aware about the distinction between the 2. So no, I guess I never meant to say border lines but actually grid lines. So perhaps though thanks to here I've figured out how to add 'border lines' that will look like the original 'grid lines' the question at this point remains, Why do the grid lines change color to black when re-merged (and perhaps I can re-ask, How does one get those grid lines back to it's default? Doing as I did makes them look like before but I guess at this point I would be changing the border lines to blue and not the grid lines, wouldn't I?)

Yes you're right, up to now you did add borderlines. Gridlines can't be changed in sections. I cannot reproduce the error you described, but try the following:

- Start Excel the way it shows you a new workbook
- Merge and unmerge some cells as you did in the workbook of origin. Does Excel Show the same misbehaviour?
- Click on the green button "File" to open the backstage view. There you select "Options"
- A new window will open, select in the list "Advanced" and scroll down the window about half way. There you will find the adjustment for the color of gridlines.
- The default is "automatic" which shows gridlines in some distinct grey. If you can live with that, I would put it to automatic, otherwise - and in your case - another color probably is applied.
- Remember this color and switch to automatic or a different Color.
- Press OK and have a look at your workbook to check if the error is gone.
- Afterwards go back to Options and apply the color of your choice

That is, if the new workbook shows the same misbehaviour. Otherwise there might be something wrong with your workbook of origin.

Let me know the results

Oh my I'm so embarrassed. Here's the story: As mentioned i've only been using it like once a month. And since I've been always using the same one sheet. always, I had forgotten it was a template. Starting a new sheet made me realize this. Therein lay my problem. I apologize to all. Nevertheless, I learned a lot. So I thank you again of course.

Hi pintree

Don't worry, you learned something that's all that matters.

Still, you will have to improve working with templates, because even workbooks based on templates usually don't behave the way...

Thx for feedback

Yup ur right, lots to learn. Actually as luck would have it i found a DVD for a few bucks, though dealing with excel 2007 n i have 2010 i'm sure most is the same, since i know very little.
As to the template I have attached it here if u wanna take a look (changed some stuff for privacy reasons). Feel free to comment as you like, make fun of me or what-have-you :-)

Attached Files

ServiceInvoiceApril-May.xlsx (49.6 KB, 8 views)

Pintree, your attachment isn't a template. Templates are .xltx (or .xltm if macros are involved)
On my computer your file works fine, unmerging a cell doesn't bring up any problems.

As I earlier described, if you have a look at "options" you'll find the gridlines are set to "automatic". But above the CheckBox for showing gridlines is unchecked, results that gridlines aren't shown in the sheet. The visible borders are borderlines.