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Add a border to a table in Office for Mac

When you add a border to a picture, text, or page, you can make those elements in your document stand out. You can do the same with the tables in your documents.

Note: This article describes procedures for Office for Mac applications. For Windows procedures, see Add, change, or delete borders from documents or pictures

Depending on the program you're using, you can add a border to a table by using the Border Styles gallery, you can apply a pre-designed table style, or you can design your own custom border.

Word

The quickest way to add borders in Word is from the Border Styles gallery.

  1. Click in the table, and then click the Table Move Handle to select the table.

    A table showing the table move handle

    The Table Tools Design tab appears. (In Office for Mac, the Table Design and Layout tabs appear. Click the Table Design tab.)

    Locate Table Tools

  2. Click Border Styles and choose a border style.

    Table border styles

  3. Click Borders and choose where you want to add the borders.

    Table border location

    Tip: To change or add borders for part of your table, check that Border Painter is selected and then, in the table, click each border that you want to change or add. Word applies the border style you’ve already chosen, and you don’t need to select the table first.

    Border Painter command

Applying a pre-designed table style is another quick way to make your table stand out. Table styles add coordinating borders, shading, and text formatting.

  1. Click inside a table, and then click the Table Tools Design tab (the Table Design tab in Office for Mac).

    Locate Table Tools

  2. In the Table Styles gallery, click a table style. To see more gallery styles, click the More arrow. (This arrow appears below the gallery in Office for Mac.)

    Table styles gallery and More button

To design your own custom border, choose the color, width, line style, and where you want to apply the borders.

  1. In Word or Outlook, click in the table, and then click the Table Move Handle to select the table.

    A table showing the table move handle

    In PowerPoint, click anywhere on the outside border of the table to select it. (The Table Move Handle does not appear in PowerPoint.)

  2. Click the Table Tools Design tab (the Table Design tab in Office for Mac).

    Locate Table Tools

  3. Design your border.

    Click Line Style (Pen Style in PowerPoint) and choose a style.

    CHoose the line style for your border

    Click Line Weight (Pen Weight in PowerPoint) and choose the border width you want.

    Table border size

    Click Pen Color and choose a color.

    Table border color

  4. Click Borders and choose the borders you want.

    Table border location

    Tip: To change or add borders for part of your table, check that Border Painter is selected and then click each border in the table. Word adds a border in the style, width, and color you’ve already chosen, and you don’t need to select the table first.

    Border Painter command

PowerPoint

Applying a pre-designed table style is a quick way to make your table stand out. Table styles add coordinating borders, shading, and text formatting.

  1. Click inside a table, and then click the Table Tools Design tab (the Table Design tab in Office for Mac).

    Locate Table Tools

  2. In the Table Styles gallery, click a table style. To see more gallery styles, click the More arrow. (This arrow appears below the gallery in Office for Mac.)

    Table styles gallery and More button

To design your own custom border, choose the color, width, line style, and where you want to apply the borders.

  1. In Word or Outlook, click in the table, and then click the Table Move Handle to select the table.

    A table showing the table move handle

    In PowerPoint, click anywhere on the outside border of the table to select it. (The Table Move Handle does not appear in PowerPoint.)

  2. Click the Table Tools Design tab (the Table Design tab in Office for Mac).

    Locate Table Tools

  3. Design your border.

    Click Line Style (Pen Style in PowerPoint) and choose a style.

    CHoose the line style for your border

    Click Line Weight (Pen Weight in PowerPoint) and choose the border width you want.

    Table border size

    Click Pen Color and choose a color.

    Table border color

  4. Click Borders and choose the borders you want.

    Table border location

    Tip: To change or add borders for part of your table, check that Border Painter is selected and then click each border in the table. Word adds a border in the style, width, and color you’ve already chosen, and you don’t need to select the table first.

    Border Painter command

See also

Insert a table in Word for Mac

Resize all or part of a table

Add or change the fill color of a table cell

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