Highlighting stage gates

There are 502 icons on 5 sizes available here to all users https://login.quickbase.com/db/9kaw8phg?a=ShowPage&pageid=134


Here is an example of a formula text field with html enabled to show an icon.


and here 
Case([Record ID#],
1, "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/280-user_0.png>";, // "Morpho Help Desk",
5,  "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/403-up.png>";, //"Morpho Escalate"
3, "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/410-prev_0.png>";, // "Waiting on Client"
4,  "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/047-undo.png>";, //"Waiting on Vendor"
2,  "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/211-check_all.png>";, // Closed 
6,  "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/200-add.png>";, //"New",
7,  "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/512-tools.png>";, // 3rd Party Field Tech
8,  "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/442-charges.png>";, //Quote given to Customer
9,  "<img src=https://images.quickbase.com/si/24/440-dollar_1.png>") //Customer Provided PO



.... as for graying out dates, do you mean how you can to make them read only in edit mode, or just appear in a different font color in view mode.

Thanks Mark. Appreciate your detailed response.  I did manage to figure out to some extent but your solution is as elegant as ever.  Any idea if I can get a left arrow in red colour? 


Re second section of the question, different colour will be good. 

Well as a look a,t the link to all 502 icons which I had posted, I do see three icons that include a red left arrow, in their image.

The other choice is to just google search for

Red arrow left images

And you will get a whole bunch of hits. You can then save one of those locally in your images app and link to that instead of the std icons.

Thanks a lot.