Microsoft Word 2008

Tables: Adding Borders and Shading

Word automatically applies a ½ point border and a white background (i.e., no shading) to all tables and table cells. However, to emphasize certain aspects of your table, you might want to add, remove, or modify table borders, or to add shading to certain cells, rows, or columns in your table.

Adding Borders and Shading: Palette Option
Adding Borders and Shading: Dialog Box Option

Adding Borders and Shading: Palette Option

Word's Formatting Palette provides quick access to the table borders and shading features.

Adding Borders

Select the cell(s) you want to apply borders to
Click TOOLBOX
The Formatting Palette appears.
To expand the tools, click BORDERS AND SHADING
The Borders and Shading tools are displayed.
From the Typepull-down menu, select the desired border style
From the Stylepull-down menu, select the desired border style
From the Colorpull-down menu, select the desired border color
From the Weightpull-down menu, select the desired border thickness

Adding Shading

Select the cell(s) you want to add shading to
HINTS:
To select multiple contiguous cells, click in one cell and hold the mouse button while dragging across the desired cells.
To select multiple non-contiguous cells, press and hold [Cmd] while clicking each desired cell.
To select the entire table, click the TABLE MOVE handle.
Click TOOLBOX
The Formatting Palette appears.
To expand the tools, click BORDERS AND SHADING
The Borders and Shading tools are displayed.
From the Pattern pull-down menu, select the desired pattern
From the Color pull-down menu, select the desired color
From the Fill color pull-down menu, select the desired color
HINT: These two colors will combine with the selected pattern to create the shading effect.

Adding Borders and Shading: Dialog Box Option

The Borders and Shading dialog box provides another way to add borders and shading to your table.

Adding Borders

Select the cell(s) you want to apply borders to
On the Command bar, from the Table pull-down menu, select Table Properties...
The Table Properties dialog box appears.
Select the Table tab
Click BORDERS AND SHADING...
The Borders and Shading dialog box appears.
In the Setting section, select the desired table setting
On the Styles scroll menu, select the desired line style
From the Color pull-down menu, select the desired color
From the Width pull-down menu, select the desired border thickness
OPTIONAL: To apply additional border settings
1. In the Preview section, select or deselect the desired borders by clicking the diagram or the surrounding buttons
2. From the Apply to pull-down menu, select where you want the border styles applied:
Text
Applies border style only to text (i.e., a text border is created inside the cell border)

Paragraph
Applies border style based on selected paragraph breaks within selected cells and/or throughout the table

Cell
Apples border style to selected cell(s)

Table
Applies border style to the entire table
Click OK
You are returned to the Table properties dialog box.
Click OK
The border changes are applied to your table.

Adding Shading

Select the cells you want to apply shading to
HINTS:
To select multiple contiguous cells, click in one cell and hold the mouse button while dragging across the desired cells.
To select multiple non-contiguous cells, press and hold [Ctrl] while clicking each desired cell.
To select the entire table, click the TABLE MOVE handle.
On the Command bar, from the Table pull-down menu, select Table Properties...
The Table Properties dialog box appears.
Select the Table tab
Click BORDERS AND SHADING...
The Borders and Shading dialog box appears.
Select the Shading tab
To select a shading color, under Fill, select the desired shading option
OPTIONAL: Under Patterns, from the Style pull-down list, select the desired shading pattern
From the Apply to pull-down list, select where you want the color applied

Text
Applies border style only to text (i.e., a text border is created inside the cell border)

Paragraph
Applies border style based on selected paragraph breaks within selected cells and/or throughout the table

Cell
Apples border style to selected cell(s)

Table
Applies border style to the entire table
Click OK
You are returned to the Table properties dialog box.
Click OK
The border changes are applied to your table.