3 Ways to Show or Hide Gridlines in Google Sheets

Video how to get rid of grid lines in google sheets

If you frequently work with Google Sheets, you know how the gridlines surrounding each cell can be both helpful and distracting. While gridlines make it easier to navigate and differentiate between cells, there may be instances when you prefer to hide them for a cleaner look or when printing your data. In this article, we will explore three different ways to show or hide gridlines in Google Sheets, along with a bonus tip for enhancing the visibility of your gridlines. So, let’s dive in and discover these handy methods!

Show or Hide Gridlines from the View Menu

Before we explore the methods, let’s familiarize ourselves with gridlines in Google Sheets. These light gray lines connect the rows and columns, making it easier to visualize data. To show or hide gridlines using the View menu, follow these simple steps:

Select the View option from the menu.
Click on Show.
From the menu items that appear, select Gridlines.

By following these steps, you can toggle the gridlines on or off. If you repeat the process and click on the Gridline option, the gridlines will reappear.

Show or Hide Gridlines when Printing

Gridlines can be incredibly useful while working on your worksheets. However, you may not want them to appear when you print your document. To hide gridlines while printing, try the following steps:

Select the range you wish to print. You can also select the entire used range or make no selection to print the entire worksheet.
Go to the File menu and choose the Print option, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P to open the Print settings menu.
In the Print dropdown, select your desired range.
Click the Formatting option on the Print Settings page in the right-side pane.
Uncheck the Show Gridlines box.

By following these steps, you can ensure that the gridlines are hidden when you print your data, giving your reports a polished and professional appearance.

Show or Hide Gridlines with an Apps Script

If you’re looking to automate tasks in Google Sheets, you can leverage Apps Script to show or hide gridlines based on user actions. This allows you to create a checkbox that toggles the gridlines on or off without using the menu bar commands. Here’s how to utilize Apps Script in Google Sheets:

Go to the Extensions menu.
Click on the Apps Script option.
Copy and paste the provided script into your Google Sheet code editor.
Click the Save button.

The script will automatically execute whenever you change the value in the first cell (A1) to either TRUE or FALSE on your active sheet in Google Sheets. Using a checkbox in the cell makes it effortless to toggle between TRUE and FALSE values, providing a user-friendly way to show or hide the gridlines.

Bonus Tip: Add Cell Borders

To enhance the visibility of gridlines in your worksheets, you can use cell border formatting. This feature allows you to create a more pronounced gridline appearance, making it easier to distinguish data from other cells. Follow these steps to add borders to your selected cells:

Select the range to which you want to apply a border.
Click on the Borders button in the toolbar.
From the sub-menu, select the All borders option.

Now, the selected cells will have a more prominent gridline color, ensuring they stand out from the rest of the grid. Additionally, you can explore other options in the Borders menu to customize the border color to your liking.

In Conclusion

Light gray gridlines appear by default in every worksheet in Google Sheets. However, you now have three effective methods at your disposal to show or hide them based on your needs. The View menu options allow you to toggle gridlines on or off, while the Print Settings enable you to hide gridlines specifically for printed reports. For more advanced automation, you can utilize Apps Script and create a seamless experience for showing or hiding gridlines. Lastly, consider using cell border formatting to enhance the visibility of gridlines in your worksheets.

So, how do you show or hide gridlines in Google Sheets? Have you discovered any other methods? Let us know in the comments below!

Mr Reviews