With cell A2 housing the earlier formula returning the numbers 1 - 8, think
you could try tinkering with the sheet sub below to fill-color A2, with the
font color for A2 set to match the fill color so as to mask the underlying
number returned by the formula

To install:
Copy the sub
Right-click on the sheet tab View Code
Paste the sub into the code window on the right
Press Alt + Q to get back to Excel

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim icolor As Integer, fcolor As Integer
Set Target = [A2]
Select Case Target
Case 1
icolor = 6
fcolor = 6
Case 2
icolor = 12
fcolor = 12
Case 3
icolor = 7
fcolor = 7
Case 4
icolor = 53
fcolor = 53
Case 5
icolor = 15
fcolor = 15
Case 6
icolor = 42
fcolor = 42
Case 7
icolor = 50
fcolor = 50
Case 8
icolor = 13
fcolor = 13
Case Else
End Select

With Target
.Interior.ColorIndex = icolor
.Font.ColorIndex = fcolor
End With

End Sub

--
Max
Singapore
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"John Calder" wrote:
Max

The person I am doing this for is really keen to have colour as the
identifier but if all else fails I will definately look at your option