Adding shading to rows in a Word table can help highlight or differentiate certain data in your table. Shading rows is an easy formatting technique in Word that only takes a few clicks. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to shade rows in Word tables on both Windows and Mac versions.
Shading Table Rows in Word for Windows
Shading table rows in Word for Windows is a straightforward process that can be done in just a few steps:
| 1. | Select the row(s) you want to shade by clicking the row number(s) on the left side of the table. |
| 2. | Go to the Table Design tab and click the Shading button in the Table Styles group. |
| 3. | Select the shading color you want to use from the palette of theme colors that appears. |
Here is a more detailed walkthrough of each step:
Select the Row(s)
To select a single row to shade, simply click the row number on the left side of the table. The entire row will become highlighted.
To select multiple consecutive rows, click the first row number, hold down the Shift key, and click the last row number.
To select non-consecutive rows, click the first row number you want, then hold down Ctrl (Command on Mac) and click each additional row number you want to select.
The key is to make sure you click the actual row number, not within the row itself, so that the entire row becomes selected.
Open the Shading Menu
Once you’ve selected the row(s), go to the Table Design tab at the top of Word. In the Table Styles group, click the small down arrow next to the Shading button.
This will open the color palette and shading options.
Select a Shading Color
With the Shading menu open, you’ll see a palette of different color options. You can click any of the theme color squares to apply that shading.
Some popular choices include the light blue Accent 1 color or light gray shades. But feel free to pick any color that suits your needs.
Once selected, the shading will be immediately applied to the selected row(s). You can continue selecting additional rows and shading them differently if desired.
And that’s all there is to it! The ability to shade table rows in Word makes it easy to customize and highlight your tables.
Shading Table Rows on a Mac
The process for shading table rows in Word for Mac is nearly identical to the Windows instructions above. Here are the steps:
| 1. | Click the row number(s) to select the row(s) you want to shade. |
| 2. | Go to the Table tab and click the down arrow next to Shading. |
| 3. | Choose a shading color from the palette. |
The only difference is that the Table Design tab in Windows is called the Table tab on Mac. But the Shading button can be found in the same Table Styles group.
When selecting rows, make sure to click the row number rather than clicking in the row itself. This will properly select the entire row.
Otherwise, the steps are identical. Click the Shading button, choose a color, and the rows will be shaded.
Shading Every Other Row
In some tables, you may want to shade alternating rows rather than selecting individual rows. This helps make long tables more readable by differentiating between rows visually.
Shading every other row is easy in Word with the Banded Rows formatting option:
| 1. | Select the entire table by clicking the upper left corner above the row numbers. |
| 2. | On the Table Design tab, click the Banded Rows button. |
This will automatically apply shading to all odd numbered rows throughout the table. The even rows will remain unshaded.
If you want the opposite (even rows shaded and odd rows not), simply click the Banded Rows button again to toggle the shading.
You can also customize the banding colors by opening the Banded Rows menu and selecting a different color palette.
Removing Row Shading
Once rows are shaded, you can easily remove or change the shading as needed:
| – | To remove shading entirely, select the row(s) and click the No Color option from the Shading menu. |
| – | To change the shading color, select the row(s), open the Shading menu, and choose a new color. |
| – | To clear banded row shading, select the whole table and click the Banded Rows button again until the option is toggled off. |
The selected row shading will be immediately removed or changed.
This makes it easy to update and tweak the appearance of your tables as you work.
Customizing Row Shading
In addition to solid shading colors, Word provides a few other formatting options for row shading:
Tint: Applies a washed out, transparent version of the color rather than a solid shade.
Patterns: Applies a pattern like stripes or checkers as the row background instead of a solid color.
Effects: Gives the shading special effects like gradients, shadows, glows, and more.
To access these options, select the row(s) > Shading menu > Custom Shading. This will open the more advanced Shading tab of the Table Options dialog box.
Here you can choose the Tint, Patterns, or Effects options to customize your shading beyond just a solid color.
Matching Table Style Shading
When applying custom table styles in Word, those styles will often include preset row shading as part of the design.
Rather than manually applying your own shading, you can match new rows you add to the existing shading:
| 1. | Right-click in an existing shaded row and select Table Properties. |
| 2. | Go to the Row tab and note the Row Shading color. |
| 3. | Select new row(s) and apply that same Shading color. |
This will make new rows blend seamlessly with the table style design. The Table Properties window provides an easy way to determine what shading is already applied to a table.
Shading Groups of Columns
In addition to complete rows, you can also select and shade groups of columns in Word tables:
| 1. | Select the columns by clicking the column letter(s) above the table. |
| 2. | Open the Shading color palette. |
| 3. | Pick a color to apply to just the selected columns. |
This allows you to shade subsets of columns while leaving others unshaded. Perfect for highlighting categories of data.
The steps are the same for selecting and shading rows, but clicking the column letters instead of row numbers.
Shading Individual Cells
For more precise shading, you can apply color to individual table cells rather than full rows/columns:
| 1. | Select the cell(s) |
| 2. | Right-click and choose Shading |
| 3. | Pick a shading color |
Use this to spotlight specific data points or cells within your table.
You can combine shaded cells with full row/column shading to create more advanced shading designs.
Conclusion
Shading table rows and columns in Word is a helpful way to organize and highlight data in your tables. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can quickly apply shading to enhance readability and make important information stand out.
Whether shading a few key rows, alternating bands of rows, or coloring specific cells, Word’s flexible shading options allow you to customize tables to suit any needs. So make sure to leverage row and column shading where appropriate in your Word tables.