Format Cells dialog box: Background tab

The background settings define how to fill the background of the selected object. For example, the object could be the metric headers of a report or the subtotal values in a report.

Use defaults

The Background style is set to default. Select this option to keep the default pattern style. Once this option is selected, all the other options on this tab are unavailable. To make a change to one of the items on this tab, you must select a different Background style.

Background tab options

The Background style determines whether the background of the object is a solid color, uses gradient colors (a two-color combination), uses a pattern, or is transparent to allow what is behind the object to show. The remaining options on this tab change depending on the Background style setting.

To use a single color as the background:
Set the Background style to Solid.
Use the Fill color drop-down list to select the background color of the object.
To use a gradient color, which blends two colors in a gradual color change in the background:
Set the Background style to Gradient.
Use the Color 1 drop-down list to select the first color to apply to the object.
Use the Color 2 drop-down list to select the second color to apply. Color 1 and Color 2 are blended together.
Click one of the squares to set the direction of the shading between the two colors. The colors can blend left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top, horizontally centered, or vertically centered.
- As you make changes, the Sample area changes to show a preview of your selections.
To use a pattern:
Set the Background style to Patterns.
Use the Fill color drop-down list to select the background color of the object.
Use the Pattern color drop-down list to select the color used to draw the pattern. The Sample area changes to show a preview of your selections.
Click one of the squares to select the pattern to apply. The Sample area changes to show a preview of the selected pattern.
If you click the solid-colored square, the fill and pattern that you selected previously are lost and no pattern or fill is applied to the cell background.

HTML cannot display patterns as the background of a cell. Therefore, the patterns do not display in Web reports.
To allow what is behind the object to show through:
Set the Background style to Transparent.