How to Fix Missing Corners in Word Table Borders on Mac
Question details
Users experience missing corners or gaps where table borders meet in Word for Mac, especially when exporting to PDF or printing.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Modifying table borders, changing cell margins, merging cells, or exporting the document to PDF on a Mac.
- Observed behavior
- Gaps appear at the corners of table borders. The issue might not show up in Word for the web but reappears upon PDF conversion or printing on the Mac desktop app.
Ensure that your Microsoft Word for Mac and macOS are updated to the latest versions, as Microsoft frequently patches display and rendering bugs in newer releases.
Reset Cell Margins and Reapply Table Borders
Since gaps often occur when top cell margins are greater than zero or border thicknesses are modified, resetting margins and reapplying borders can resolve the rendering glitch.
This method addresses the local rendering bug in Word for Mac by clearing the customized borders and forcing the software to redraw them uniformly from scratch.
Hover over your table and click the crosshair icon in the top-left corner to select the entire table.
Navigate to the Layout tab under Table Tools. Click on Cell Margins and ensure the top, bottom, left, and right margins are set to default or zero.
Go to the Table Design tab, click on the Borders dropdown menu, and select 'No Border'.
Click the Borders dropdown again and select 'All Borders' to reapply the lines evenly without gaps.
Export to PDF Using Word for the Web
If the Mac desktop app continues to render gaps upon export, using the web version can bypass local device rendering issues.
Boot macOS in Safe Mode
Booting your Mac in Safe Mode helps determine if background applications, cache, or font conflicts are causing the table border rendering issue.
Avoid Table Rendering Bugs with WPS Office for Mac
Tired of dealing with formatting glitches and missing table borders in Word for Mac? WPS Office provides a free, highly compatible, and lightweight alternative for Mac users. It handles complex table layouts and PDF exports flawlessly, ensuring your documents look exactly as intended without rendering bugs.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Get the free WPS Office installer for Mac from the official website and complete the installation.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and simply open your existing .docx file.
- 3. Export flawlessly: Edit your tables with precision and export to PDF directly using WPS's built-in PDF tools with perfect border rendering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my Word table borders have missing corners only when printed or exported?
This is often a rendering bug in Word for Mac related to how the application translates table formatting (like modified cell margins or merged cells) into print or PDF formats. Reapplying borders or setting top margins to zero usually resolves it.
Does merging cells cause missing table borders in Word?
Yes, merging cells can sometimes confuse Word's border rendering engine on Mac, causing gaps at the intersections. Selecting the table and reapplying 'All Borders' forces the engine to redraw them correctly.
Can changing border thickness trigger this issue?
Yes, modifying border thickness after the table is created can cause overlapping corners to render improperly. Keeping border width consistent across the table or clearing and reapplying the border styles can fix the gaps.
Will updating macOS fix the missing corner issue in Word?
It might. Sometimes Apple updates its core rendering libraries which Office apps rely on. Microsoft also frequently releases patches for Word, so updating both your OS and Office suite is always a recommended first step.
