Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Getting Rid of Background Color in All Tables.

Getting Rid of Background Color in All Tables

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 31, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


Debbie receives documents that routinely have multiple tables in them, and those tables are usually shaded with a background color. She has to remove the shading individually, for each table, so she can print the documents correctly. Debbie wonders if there is a way she can get rid of the background colors in one pass.

There are a couple of methods that you could try. First, you could define your own table styles that reflect how you want the tables to appear. Then all you'd need to do is select each table and apply the styles. This method would also have the benefit of being a solution that is "distributable" to others in your organization so that, perhaps, they would format the tables correctly in the first place.

Another way of handling the problem is to create a simple macro that steps through each table and reset the table's shading. Here's an example:

Sub ClearTableBGColor()
    Dim t As Table

    For Each t In ActiveDocument.Tables
        With t.Shading
            .Texture = wdTextureNone
            .ForegroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic
            .BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic
        End With
    Next
End Sub

You can run the macro at any time and all the tables in the document are affected. If you need to change the formatting for tables in lots of documents, you may want to assign the macro to the Quick Access Toolbar or to a shortcut key.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11022) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Getting Rid of Background Color in All Tables.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Saving a Document in a Macro

If you develop a macro to process your document, you may want the macro to save the document to disk. This is easily done ...

Discover More

Formatting Issues with Indexing Levels

When you insert an index in a document, Word automatically takes care of formatting that index. What if the index levels ...

Discover More

Ignoring Empty Cells in a Chart

If the data you are using as the source for a chart includes some cells that are empty, you may want to exclude those ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Hiding Table Gridlines, by Default

The edges to table cells are shown two ways in Word: gridlines and borders. Table gridlines are only seen in Word; they ...

Discover More

Adjusting Column Width Using the Ribbon

If you want to resize the width of your table columns, you can do it using a mouse, but you can get more precise widths ...

Discover More

Aligning Decimal Numbers in Tables

Need to align numbers around their decimal point within a table? It's easy to do by using the three simple steps provided ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.