Formatting Issues

How to Remove White Text Highlights from Word Table Cells

Olivia Miller Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to remove a persistent white background behind text located within a shaded Word table cell.

How to Remove White Text Highlights from Word Table Cells

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Modifying the appearance of text inside a table cell where a white background block obscures the actual cell shading.
Observed behavior: The text retains a white background that functions as character shading, which cannot be removed simply by changing the standard text highlight color.

Before you start

Ensure your document is fully editable and that the text cursor can be placed inside the affected table cells to modify their specific formatting properties.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove Character Shading via Borders and Shading

The most reliable method is to target the text-level shading directly in the Borders and Shading formatting menu.

White areas behind text in a shaded table cell are typically caused by direct character shading rather than paragraph shading or standard highlighting. Adjusting the character fill settings will resolve the formatting conflict.

Select the text

Highlight the specific text inside the table cell that has the unwanted white background.

Open Borders and Shading

Navigate to the Home tab on the ribbon, click the arrow next to the Borders button, and select 'Borders and Shading' at the bottom of the list.

Adjust Shading settings

In the dialog box, switch to the 'Shading' tab. Under the Fill section, select 'No Color'.

Apply to Text

Ensure that the 'Apply to' dropdown menu on the right side is explicitly set to 'Text', then click OK to clear the white background.

Remove Character Shading via Borders and Shading

Solution 2

Clear Direct Formatting Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Quickly strip away any direct character formatting, including unwanted text shading, using a built-in shortcut.

Professional Document Formatting

Easily Manage Table Shading in WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive interface to seamlessly edit, format, and adjust table cells. You can quickly remove unwanted highlights and manage document styles with precision.

1. Open Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing the problematic table.
2. Select Text: Highlight the text within the table cell that displays the white background.
3. Clear Shading: Navigate to the Home tab, locate the Shading icon (paint bucket), and select 'No Color' to instantly remove the background.

Effortlessly manage text, paragraph, and cell shading.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx, .doc) formats.Lightweight, fast, and completely free to use.Clean, user-friendly UI to handle advanced table properties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't the 'Text Highlight Color' tool remove the white background?

The white background in this scenario is usually applied as 'Character Shading' rather than a standard text highlight. The highlight tool only affects highlighting, meaning it cannot override or remove deeper shading properties applied via the Borders and Shading menu.

How can I remove shading from the entire paragraph instead of just the text?

To remove paragraph shading, open the Borders and Shading dialog box, go to the Shading tab, set the Fill to 'No Color', and ensure the 'Apply to' dropdown is set to 'Paragraph' instead of 'Text'.

Can I apply this fix to multiple table cells at once?

Yes. You can select multiple cells, entire rows, or the whole table at once. Then, open the Borders and Shading menu and apply 'No Color' to 'Text'. This will remove character shading uniformly across your entire selection.

Document & File Issues