Fix Word Text Appearing White in a Colored Table Cell
Question details
Text inside a colored Word table cell appears to have a white background or highlight that overrides the cell color.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 2016
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Changing the shading or background color of text and cells within a document table.
- Observed behavior
- Text displays a white background against a gray or colored table cell because shading formatting is incorrectly applied to the cell scope instead of the text scope.
Enable the display of paragraph marks and hidden formatting symbols in your document so you can easily distinguish between selecting standard text and selecting the end-of-cell marker.
Adjust Text Shading Scope in the Borders and Shading Menu
Change the shading scope explicitly from 'Cell' to 'Text' to remove the unwanted white text background.
This formatting issue typically occurs when the end-of-cell marker is accidentally highlighted during selection. When the marker is included, Word defaults the shading application to the entire cell rather than the specific text, which can cause layered formatting conflicts.
Highlight only the text inside the table cell. Carefully avoid highlighting the end-of-cell marker at the end of the text.
Navigate to the 'Home' tab, click the dropdown arrow next to the 'Borders' icon in the Paragraph group, and select 'Borders and Shading' at the bottom of the list.
In the dialog box that appears, click on the 'Shading' tab located at the top.
Look for the 'Apply to' dropdown menu on the right side of the dialog and change it from 'Cell' to 'Text'.
Under the 'Fill' section, choose 'No Color' to remove the white background, then click 'OK' to apply your changes.
Format Tables Flawlessly with WPS Writer
WPS Writer offers an intuitive interface for managing table properties and text formatting, allowing you to easily adjust cell and text shading without formatting conflicts. Best of all, it is fully compatible with Microsoft Word documents.
- 1. Open document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open the document containing your formatted table.
- 2. Highlight the affected text: Select the text with the unwanted white background, making sure not to select the blank space after the text.
- 3. Access Borders and Shading: Go to the 'Home' tab, click the 'Borders' dropdown, and choose 'Borders and Shading'.
- 4. Clear text background: Under the 'Shading' tab, set the 'Apply to' dropdown to 'Text' and select 'No Color' to fix the shading issue instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my text have a white background when I paste it into a colored table?
Pasted text often carries its original formatting, including character shading or highlight colors from web pages or other documents. You can prevent this by right-clicking and selecting 'Keep Text Only' when pasting, or by clearing the formatting using the 'Clear Formatting' tool.
How do I select text without grabbing the end-of-cell marker?
Click and drag from the beginning of the text to the end, stopping right after the last character. Alternatively, select the entire cell and press Shift + Left Arrow to step back one space and deselect the marker.
What is the difference between Text shading and Cell shading?
Text shading only applies background color directly behind the selected characters (acting like a highlight), while Cell shading fills the entire rectangular space of the table cell from border to border, regardless of the text length.
Can I remove shading from an entire table at once?
Yes. Select the entire table by clicking the crosshair icon in the top-left corner of the table. Go to 'Borders and Shading', select the 'Shading' tab, set the Fill option to 'No Color', and ensure 'Apply to' is set to 'Table'.
