WPS Fill Color on macOS helps you add, adjust, and clear cell background colors in Sheets; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 4 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 4 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | All tasks in this guide are available directly |
About This Feature
Overview
Fill Color is a basic formatting feature in WPS Sheets for macOS. It lets you add background colors to cells so you can classify data, improve visual distinction, and make spreadsheets easier to read.
The main capabilities include:
- Apply fill color: Use the Fill Color control on the Home tab to apply a preset color quickly.
- Set fill color from the right-click menu: Open Format Cells and switch to the Fill panel.
- Create a custom fill color: Enter RGB values or choose a color from the color wheel.
- Clear fill color: Remove the current background color and return the cell to no fill.
This feature is useful for color-coded data, status tracking, spreadsheet formatting, and print-ready layout cleanup in WPS Office.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | A Mac device that can run WPS Office normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac |
| Network | No mandatory internet connection is required for local fill color editing; for collaboration, keep the network connected so changes can sync |
| Other | Open a WPS spreadsheet file and make sure you have permission to edit the target cells |
Download & Installation
Before you use Fill Color, install WPS Office on your Mac and open a spreadsheet in editing mode.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Official Download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Post-install Check | Launch WPS Office → open a spreadsheet → confirm that the Fill Color control is visible on the Home tab |
Source: WPS Download Center
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | WPS lets you apply cell background colors, open fill settings from the right-click menu, create custom colors, and clear fill color in spreadsheets. | Microsoft Word supports adding or removing shading in table cells and offers More Colors for additional color choices. | Google Sheets supports changing cell fill color, including single-color formatting and alternating colors, and Google also documents custom color creation with RGB or HEX values. | Notion supports text color and background highlights for text and blocks, which is useful for page styling rather than traditional spreadsheet cell fill. | Adobe Acrobat focuses on highlight and markup color changes in PDF review workflows rather than spreadsheet cell background formatting. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS focuses directly on spreadsheet cell background formatting on macOS. Distinct: It combines toolbar access, right-click access, custom color selection, and clear fill in one everyday editing workflow. | Compared with WPS: Microsoft’s referenced page focuses on table shading in document-style tables rather than spreadsheet cell formatting. | Compared with WPS: Google supports cell fill and custom colors, but its official guidance emphasizes browser-based spreadsheet formatting and related formatting options. | Compared with WPS: Notion color tools are centered on page content and block styling, not spreadsheet cell fill as a primary workflow. | Compared with WPS: Adobe color tools are designed for PDF markup and review, not spreadsheet editing. |
| Official Source | — | Add or remove shading in a table | Edit & format a spreadsheet | Style & customize your page | Change markup colors |
Overall Conclusion: If you need direct spreadsheet cell background formatting on macOS, WPS provides a focused and practical workflow. Other products cover related color features, but their official guidance is more centered on document tables, browser-based sheets, page styling, or PDF review.
Use Cases
| # | Scenario | Target Users | Core Pain Point | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data category marking | Finance, operations, and admin teams | Different categories are hard to distinguish quickly | Apply different background colors to different groups of cells |
| 2 | Collaboration status tracking | Team collaborators | Status is not clear enough during shared editing | Use colors to mark pending, in progress, and completed items |
| 3 | Key information emphasis | Project managers and teachers | Important values are easy to miss | Highlight key cells with noticeable fill colors |
| 4 | Print layout improvement | Users who print spreadsheets | The table structure looks flat on paper | Use light fill colors to improve visual hierarchy |
| 5 | Spreadsheet styling | Everyday office users | The sheet looks too plain | Use custom colors to keep a consistent visual style |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
Fill Color tasks are available directly and do not require a separate membership. WPS membership plans generally add broader advanced tools, more cloud storage, and additional extended capabilities.
| Feature | Free User | WPS Member |
|---|---|---|
| Cell fill color | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Custom color settings | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic spreadsheet editing | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| More advanced tools and extended benefits | Some features may be limited | More benefits are available |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Use Case | Recommended Plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday spreadsheet marking and basic formatting | Free | Fill Color tasks already cover common daily needs |
| Users who also need more advanced office tools | WPS Member | Suitable if you want additional tools, cloud storage, and broader advanced features |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page