Tim, I think there is some disconnect as to what you are
trying to shade over. Shading implies layers, but there
are not layers in Excel. In other words, you are not
adding cells on top of cells and trying to see through one
to the next. Now if you were to create an object like a
checkbox in the sheet, that has properties like color
fill, which then has transparency you can see. But the
reason for that is the "object" is floating over the
spreadsheet, therefore you may want to see through the one
to see the other.
I think, unless someone else knows this better, that there
is not setting like the one you are looking. Namely, the
only shading levels for cells are their fill colors, which
can be lighter shades of gray or color, depending on what
you select.
Boris
