Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. 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: Quickly Removing Table Borders.

Quickly Removing Table Borders

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 23, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


1

When you insert a table in Word, it automatically adds a border around the cells in the table. For many purposes, you may not want the borders. There are many different ways to get rid of the borders, but perhaps the simplest is to simply press Ctrl+Alt+U right after inserting the table. (After you insert the table, the insertion point is typically within a cell of the table. If it is not, you should make sure you place the insertion point within the table before pressing Ctrl+Alt+U.)

It is important to note that the Ctrl+Alt+U shortcut removes all formatting from the table—not just the borders. If you want to remove the borders but keep other formatting in your table, select your whole table and choose No Borders from the drop-down list on the Borders tool in the Borders group on the Table Design tab of the ribbon.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13133) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Quickly Removing Table Borders.

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

Adjusting Times for Time Zones

Collect a series of times in a worksheet, and you might need to adjust those times for various time zones. This involves ...

Discover More

Inserting the Current Month

Need to add the name of the current month to your document? Word includes a field that can make the addition easy, and it ...

Discover More

Using the Control Panel to Remove Programs

Removing programs that you no longer need can help to free up system resources and keep your system clean and running ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Finding an Optimal Table Height

Word can adjust the height of individual rows in a table based on the information you put in each row. This may not ...

Discover More

Fitting Your Text In a Table Cell

Got some text you absolutely must fit on a single line in a table cell? Then you'll appreciate this rather esoteric ...

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
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 + 1?

2022-04-23 15:08:53

Robert Wolfe

How can I remove text box without removing the text in the box?


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.