How to Change Table Border Color in PowerPoint: Customize Design in Clicks

I’ve lost count of how many presentations I’ve fixed by simply adjusting table borders. The default black lines can make even the best data look dull and hard to follow.

Changing the border color takes under a minute once you know where to look. The process is nearly identical across PowerPoint 2016, 2019, and 365, with just a couple of menu location tweaks between versions.

You’ll transform bland tables into professional designs that guide your audience’s eyes exactly where you want them. No special tools or design skills required—just a few clicks.

Works for any table, in any presentation, with any color scheme. Here’s how to do it right.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the procedure I follow to get clean, professional table borders every time.

Open your PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide containing the table. Click anywhere inside the table to select it. You’ll see the Table Design tab appear in the ribbon at the top.

If the entire table isn’t selected, click the four-way arrow icon in the top-left corner of the table to select it completely. This ensures all borders will be modified uniformly rather than just individual cells.

In the Table Design tab, locate the Borders group on the far right. Click the small downward arrow next to the Borders button to open the border options. From this menu, select Borders and Shading at the bottom.

A new window will appear with multiple tabs. Click the Borders tab to access the border color and style settings. This is where you’ll customize the appearance of your table borders.

In the Borders tab, you’ll see a color palette under Color. Click the dropdown to reveal a full spectrum of options. Select your preferred color. For precise matching, use the More Colors option to input a specific hex code.

Next, choose a border style from the Style dropdown. You can select solid, dashed, or dotted lines, among others. Adjust the Width setting to make the borders thicker or thinner as needed. Preview the changes in the small diagram on the left side of the window.

In the same Borders and Shading window, you can choose which borders to apply the changes to. Use the diagram on the left to click individual borders, or select from the Presets section to apply changes to all borders, outer borders only, or inner borders only.

For more granular control, click specific lines in the diagram to customize individual borders differently. This is useful when you want to highlight certain parts of the table, like header rows or total columns.

Click OK to apply your changes and close the Borders and Shading window. Examine the table to ensure the borders appear as expected. If something looks off, reopen the menu and adjust the settings.

For additional polish, consider using the Eraser tool in the Table Design tab to remove specific borders. Click Eraser, then click and drag over any border you want to remove. This tool is perfect for creating custom, open table layouts.

Tips and Common Mistakes

These practical insights will help you avoid frustration and get professional results.

Selection Precision: In Step 1, clicking the four-way arrow icon is crucial—it ensures you modify the entire table rather than just one cell. I’ve seen too many presentations where someone missed this and ended up with mismatched borders. Trust me, the extra second to verify full selection saves minutes of rework.

Menu Navigation: The Borders and Shading option in Step 2 is easy to overlook if you’re not looking at the far right of the Table Design tab. Take your time here, as rushing often leads to accidentally selecting the wrong border style or color. The preview diagram is your best friend for confirming changes before applying them.

Customization Control: Step 4’s diagram is where most users get tripped up. Instead of guessing which borders you’re editing, click directly on the diagram’s lines to highlight specific borders. This gives you pixel-perfect control, especially when you want to emphasize headers or totals without altering the entire table.

Final Polish: Step 5’s Eraser tool is underused but incredibly powerful. If your table looks cluttered, drag the eraser over unnecessary borders to create a cleaner, more modern layout. Just remember to save your work before experimenting—it’s easy to overdo it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Changing table border colors in PowerPoint is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your presentation’s visual appeal. With just a few clicks, you can customize tables to match your design theme and make data stand out. Try experimenting with different colors and styles to see what works best for your next project!