(Legacy) Microsoft Word 2007: Tables: Adding Borders and Shading

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This article is based on legacy software.

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: Ribbon Option

Word's Ribbon provides quick access to the table borders and shading features. To enhance table borders, you have the option of drawing or using buttons.

Adding Borders: Drawing Option

  1. From the Ribbon, select the Design command tab

    NOTE: Your table must either have the insertion point in it or be selected in order to view the Design command tab.
     

  2. In the Draw Borders group, click LINE STYLE line style » select the desired line style
    Your cursor turns into a pencil.

  3. In the Draw Borders group, click LINE WEIGHT LIne weight » select the desired border thickness

  4. In the Draw Borders group, click PEN COLOR Pen Color » select the desired border color

  5. In your table, click and drag along the existing border with the style you would like to change 
    The new border/style is applied.

  6. (Optional) To remove individual border lines
    1. In the Draw Borders group, click LINE STYLE LIne style » Select No Border

    2. Click on the border line you want to remove

  7. To turn off the drawing pencil, click DRAW TABLE draw table button
    OR
    Click outside the table
    OR
    Press [Esc]

Adding Borders: Button Option

  1. Select the cell(s) you want to apply borders 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     Table move handle .

  2. From the Ribbon, select the Design command tab

  3. In the Draw Borders group, click LINE STYLE line style » select the desired line style

  4. In the Draw Borders group, click LINE WEIGHT Line Weight » select the desired border thickness

  5. To change the border color, from the Draw Borders group, click PEN COLOR pen color button » select the desired color
    HINT: For the color change to take effect, it may be necessary to select No Borders before selecting the desired cell borders (e.g., top, bottom, left, right, all).

  6. From Table Styles group, click the down arrow on BORDERS all borders » select the cell borders (e.g., top, bottom, left, right, all) you want to apply the border style to. 
    The border style is applied to the selected borders of the selected cell(s)

Adding Shading

  1. 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 [Ctrl] while clicking each desired cell.
    To select the entire table, click the TABLE MOVE handle     table move handle .

  2. From the Ribbon, select the Design command tab

  3. In the Table Styles group, click the down arrow on SHADING shading button » select a color from the palette 
    The color is applied to selected cells.

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

  1. Select the cells you want to apply borders 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     table move handle.

  2. From the Ribbon, select the Design command tab

  3. In the Table Styles group, click the down arrow on BORDERS borders button » select Borders and Shading...
    The Borders and Shading dialog box appears.

    NOTE: The Setting section of the Borders and Shading dialog box displays different options depending on what is selected in the Apply to: pull-down menu. 

    Borders and Shading dialog box

  4. Select the Borders tab

  5. In the Setting, Style, Color, and Width sections, select the desired border options

  6. (Optional) To apply additional border settings< >In the Preview section, select or deselect the desired borders by clicking the diagram or the surrounding buttons From the Apply to pull-down menu, select where you want the border styles applied:

    Click OK
    The changes are applied. 
    HINT: If any border changes made from the Preview section overlap existing border settings, the updated settings will take precedence only where the overlap occurs. All other previous settings will remain the same.

Adding Shading

  1. 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 table move handle .

  2. From the Ribbon, select the Design command tab

  3. In the Table Styles group, click the down arrow on BORDERS borders button » select Borders and Shading...
    The Borders and Shading dialog box appears.

  4. Select the Shading tab
    shading tab

  5. To select a shading color, under Fill, select the desired shading option

  6. (Optional) Under Patterns, from the Style pull-down list, select the desired shading pattern

  7. From the Apply to pull-down list, select where you want the color applied

Paragraph
Applies color to the text area in selected cell(s); color does not fill the entire cell

Cell
Fills selected cell(s) with color

Table
Applies color to entire table

  1. Click OK
    The changes are applied.