Word 2013: Enhance Tables with Borders in Microsoft Word

When you add a table to a document it is automatically inserted with plain black borders around it and around every cell in the table. These plain thin black lines are fine to work with when you are filling in your table’s content, but sometimes it helps to dress things up a little. Here’s how to make your table borders stand out and look great!

Microsoft Word allows you to place a border on any or all of the four sides of a table similar to text, paragraphs and pages. You can also add many types of shading to table rows and columns. It is possible to add any of the borders (left, right, top or bottom) around a table and add different thickness, colors, and styles to various rows and columns of the table. Even removing borders can enhance your document. Within the Table Tools Contextual Design tab, there is a Borders group containing all the tools you need to customize your design. So, don’t get stuck with the defaults! Take a few extra minutes to explore all that Word has to offer on the Design Tab. This will enhance the look and feel of your tables and the overall appearance of your documents.