Can I color table columns using CSS without coloring individual cells?

Yes, you can... using the <col> element:

.grey {
  background-color: rgba(128,128,128,.25);
}
.red {
  background-color: rgba(255,0,0,.25);
}
.blue {
  background-color: rgba(0,0,255,.25);
}
<table>
  <colgroup>
    <col class="grey" />
    <col class="red" span="3" />
    <col class="blue" />
  </colgroup>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>#</th>
      <th colspan="3">color 1</th>
      <th>color 2</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th>1</th>
      <td>red</td>
      <td>red</td>
      <td>red</td>
      <td>blue</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th>2</th>
      <td>red</td>
      <td>red</td>
      <td>red</td>      
      <td>blue</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Note: You can use the span attribute to make the col definition apply to more than one column.
See also: <colgroup>


You can use the nth-child selector for that:

tr td:nth-child(2),
tr td:nth-child(3) {
  background: #ccc;
}
<table>
  <tr>
    <th colspan="2">headline 1</th>
    <th>headline 2</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>column 1</td>
    <td>column 2</td>
    <td>column 3</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>column 1</td>
    <td>column 2</td>
    <td>column 3</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>column 1</td>
    <td>column 2</td>
    <td>column 3</td>
  </tr>
</table>

It is generally simplest to style cells (by column if desired), but columns can be styled, in different ways. One simple way is to wrap columns in a colgroup element and set styles on it. Example:

<style>
.x {
    background-color: #DDD
}
</style>
<table border="1">
<col>
<colgroup class=x>
  <col>
  <col>
  <col>
</colgroup>
<col>
<colgroup class=x>
  <col>
  <col>
</colgroup>
  <tr>
    <th>Motor</th>
    <th colspan="3" class="color">Engine</th>
    <th>Car</th>
    <th colspan="2" class="color">Body</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>1</td>
    <td class="color">2</td>
    <td class="color">3</td>
    <td class="color">4</td>
    <td>5</td>
    <td class="color">6</td>
    <td class="color">7</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>7</td>
    <td class="color">1</td>
    <td class="color">2</td>
    <td class="color">3</td>
    <td>4</td>
    <td class="color">5</td>
    <td class="color">6</td>
  </tr>
</table>

I would use the nth-child css pseudo-class for this:

tr td:nth-child(2), tr th:nth-child(2), tr td:nth-child(3), tr td:nth-child(4), tr th:nth-child(4), tr td:nth-child(6), tr td:nth-child(7){
    background-color: #DDD;
}


tr td:nth-child(2),
tr th:nth-child(2),
tr td:nth-child(3),
tr td:nth-child(4),
tr th:nth-child(4),
tr td:nth-child(6),
tr td:nth-child(7) {
  background-color: #DDD;
}
<table border="1">
  <tr>
    <th>Motor</th>
    <th colspan="3">Engine</th>
    <th>Car</th>
    <th colspan="2">Body</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>1</td>
    <td>2</td>
    <td>3</td>
    <td>4</td>
    <td>5</td>
    <td>6</td>
    <td>7</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>7</td>
    <td>1</td>
    <td>2</td>
    <td>3</td>
    <td>4</td>
    <td>5</td>
    <td>6</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Tags:

Html

Css

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