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How to Fix Table Borders in Word?

Published in Microsoft Word Formatting 3 mins read

To fix table borders in Word, you'll primarily use the "Table Design" and "Layout" tabs under "Table Tools." Here's a breakdown of how to adjust your table borders:

Steps to Adjust Table Borders

  1. Select the Table: First, click anywhere inside the table you want to modify. This activates the "Table Tools" contextual tabs in the Ribbon. Alternatively, you can select the entire table by clicking the table handle (a small square) that appears at the top-left corner when you hover over the table.

  2. Access Table Tools: With the table selected, you should see two new tabs appear in the Ribbon: "Table Design" and "Layout." These contain all the tools you need.

  3. Use the Borders Menu:

    • Go to the Table Design tab.
    • In the Table Styles group, locate the Borders dropdown menu. Clicking this gives you several options for customizing your borders.

  4. Border Options: The Borders menu offers several ways to fix and customize your table borders:

    • Predefined Border Sets: Choose from preset border styles like "All Borders," "Outside Borders," "Inside Borders," "No Border," etc. This is a quick way to apply a consistent border style.
    • Borders and Shading: Select "Borders and Shading..." at the bottom of the menu to open a dialog box. This gives you fine-grained control over border style, color, width, and which sides of the table or cells to apply them to.

  5. Customizing Borders with the Borders and Shading Dialog:

    • Style: Choose the line style (solid, dashed, dotted, etc.) from the "Style" list.
    • Color: Select the border color from the "Color" dropdown.
    • Width: Specify the border thickness from the "Width" dropdown.
    • Preview: Use the preview diagram on the right side of the dialog box to select which borders to apply the settings to. You can click on the lines in the diagram or use the buttons around the preview.
    • Apply to: Choose whether to apply the borders to the "Table," "Cell," or "Paragraph."

  6. Using the Border Painter:

    • In the Table Design tab, in the "Draw Borders" group, you'll find the "Border Painter" tool.
    • Select the desired border style, color, and width.
    • Click and drag the mouse over the borders you want to apply the selected style to.

Troubleshooting Common Border Issues

  • Missing Borders: If borders are missing entirely, make sure the "No Border" option isn't selected. Also, check that the border color isn't set to "Automatic," which might be the same as your page background.
  • Incorrect Border Style: Double-check the selected border style, color, and width in the Borders and Shading dialog box or using the Border Painter. Ensure you’re applying the settings to the correct area (table, cell, etc.).
  • Inconsistent Borders: Use the Border Painter or apply a predefined border set (e.g., "All Borders") to ensure consistency throughout the table.
  • Borders Displaying Incorrectly on Screen: Sometimes, display issues can cause borders to appear incorrectly on screen. Printing the document can often resolve these visual glitches.

By understanding and utilizing these methods, you can effectively fix and customize table borders in Microsoft Word.

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