How to Remove Extra Fill or Bumps from Word Heading Styles
Question details
The user needs to remove an unwanted visual bump or extra fill that appears on the right side of a Heading 1 style border.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Applying or viewing a Heading 1 style with an outline border in a document based on a specific template.
- Observed behavior
- The heading border renders incorrectly, showing as a solid rectangle with an extra fill or an unwanted bump on the right side instead of a clean, uniform outline.
Ensure your document is open in Print Layout view so you can accurately see how borders and styles are rendered on the page.
Change the Heading Outline to a Box Border
Switching from individual side borders to a unified box border circumvents the rendering bug in Word for Mac.
This visual glitch is often caused by a known rendering issue in specific versions of Word for Mac when outline borders are constructed from separate top, bottom, left, and right border lines.
Navigate to the Home tab. In the Styles gallery, right-click on 'Heading 1' (or the affected style) and select 'Modify' from the context menu.
In the Modify Style dialog box, click on the 'Format' dropdown menu located at the bottom-left corner and choose 'Border'.
Under the 'Setting' column on the left side of the Borders and Shading dialog, select the 'Box' option instead of 'Custom' or individually clicking the border sides.
Click 'OK'. Before closing the Modify Style dialog, check the radio button for 'New documents based on this template' if you want this fix to apply to all future documents. Click 'OK' again to apply.
Update Microsoft Word for Mac
Installing the latest software update can resolve underlying application rendering bugs that cause template styles to display incorrectly.
Avoid Rendering Bugs with WPS Office
If you frequently encounter formatting glitches or rendering bugs in Microsoft Word, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for viewing, formatting, and editing your documents seamlessly.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office for Mac.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document or template.
- 3. Edit Seamlessly: View and edit your heading styles without worrying about rendering bugs or layout shifts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Word heading have a black box around it?
This usually happens due to modified style borders or background shading. Check the 'Borders and Shading' settings within your Heading's Modify Style menu to clear unwanted formatting and set the border to 'None'.
How do I remove a background color or extra fill from a heading in Word?
Go to the Home tab, select the heading text, click the Shading tool (the paint bucket icon) in the Paragraph group, and select 'No Color'.
How can I completely reset a Word style to its default settings?
You can clear the current formatting by selecting the text, opening the Styles pane, and choosing 'Clear All'. Alternatively, click the drop-down arrow next to the modified style in the Styles pane and choose 'Revert to template style' or 'Update to Match Selection'.
