Tom,
Your solution worked on my spreadsheet, thank you so much.
As to why I would want to colour hidden columns. We get spreadsheets from
other people in the company, and instead of grouping columns or rows which
they do not want to show, which is always my preference, they hide them. I
sometimes need to see this information and then get the spreadsheet back to
the state it was in to start with. I now realise that colouring the columns
will inflate the spreadsheet size, and have thought of another method. This
is to have a spare row at the top somewhere, highlight all the cells in that
row on top of the data, F5, special, visible cells only (or use the toolbar
icon) and colour these. When the columns are unhidden the unhidden columns
are uncoloured on this row.
Thanks to all who have given their time to help.
Barbara

Tom Ogilvy wrote:
Sub ColorHiddenColumns()
On Error GoTo Terminator
Dim rw As Range
Dim fstrw As Range
Dim myRange As Range
Dim myColor As Long
Dim myPattern As Long
Dim myPatternColor As Long
Set myRange = Selection
For Each rw In myRange.Columns
If rw.Hidden = True Then
If fstrw Is Nothing Then
Set fstrw = rw
Exit For
End If
End If
Next
fstrw.Select
Application.Dialogs(xlDialogPatterns).Show
myColor = ActiveCell.Interior.ColorIndex
myPattern = ActiveCell.Interior.Pattern
myPatternColor = ActiveCell.Interior.PatternColorIndex
For Each rw In myRange.Columns
If rw.Hidden = True Then
rw.Interior.ColorIndex = myColor
rw.Interior.Pattern = myPattern
rw.Interior.PatternColorIndex = myPatternColor
End If
Next
Exit Sub
Terminator: MsgBox "There are no hidden rows ", vbExclamation
End Sub


"Barbara Wiseman" wrote in message
...
Sorry for the newbie (in programming anyway) question.

I have found a great macro for colouring hidden rows from Andrew
Engwirda which I have copied below. Could some kind programming
guru help me transform it in to a macro to colour hidden columns.
Thanks in advance,
Barbara
(from my spelling of colour, you may guess I am from the UK)

http://blog.livedoor.jp/andrewe/archives/13105945.html

Sub ColorHiddenRows()
On Error GoTo Terminator
Dim rw As Range
Dim fstrw As Range
Dim myRange As Range
Dim myColor As Long
Dim myPattern As Long
Dim myPatternColor As Long
Set myRange = Selection
For Each rw In myRange.Rows
If rw.Hidden = True Then
If fstrw Is Nothing Then
Set fstrw = rw
Exit For
End If
End If
Next
fstrw.Select
Application.Dialogs(xlDialogPatterns).Show
myColor = ActiveCell.Interior.ColorIndex
myPattern = ActiveCell.Interior.Pattern
myPatternColor = ActiveCell.Interior.PatternColorIndex
For Each rw In myRange.Rows
If rw.Hidden = True Then
rw.Interior.ColorIndex = myColor
rw.Interior.Pattern = myPattern
rw.Interior.PatternColorIndex = myPatternColor
End If
Next
Exit Sub
Terminator: MsgBox "There are no hidden rows ", vbExclamation
End Sub