Changing border colors of table cells

[Ray K]

I'm working with a 6-row x 16-column table in Word 2002. I first added
borders to certain cells, then insert photos. If I want to change the
border color of a cell that already has the photo added, I can click on
the photo, then right-click, select Borders and Shading, and the ensuing
Borders dialog box will show the existing border color and width. I then
make the change.

If I want to change the border color (or width) before adding the photo,
again I click in the cell, right-click, and select Borders and Shading.
This time, however, the Borders dialog box doesn't show the existing
border color and width. Instead reverts to default values and the word
"Table" appears in the "Apply to" box. I then must go through the ordeal
of selecting a width, a color, and whether to apply the change to the
Table, Cell, or Paragraph.

Is there a way to force the Borders dialog box to show the existing
color and width of a selected cell, even if a photo isn't in it?

Thanks,

Ray

 

[Karen]

Hi Ray,

I use Word 2003 and it's pretty much the same situation.

When you select a picture or photo and right click on it to change the
border, you're actually changing the border of the picture itself and
not the cell it's in. That may be why when you don't have a picture
inserted in the cell, you're only working with the cell.

The only workaround I've found (which isn't the greatest) is to ensure
that the tables and borders toolbar is always visible when I'm working
with a table (click VIEW>Toolbars>Tables and Borders). It allows you
to change the border, but it appears as a pencil and you have to click
on each line colour /size you want changed individually. Then to get
rid of the "pencil" you click on it again (but then you get the big
dialogue box appearing which you have to cancel.)

Sorry I wasn't more help, hopefully someone else will have a better
solution.

Best of luck with this!

Karen

 

[Ray K]

Hi Ray,

I use Word 2003 and it's pretty much the same situation.

When you select a picture or photo and right click on it to change the
border, you're actually changing the border of the picture itself and
not the cell it's in. That may be why when you don't have a picture
inserted in the cell, you're only working with the cell.

The only workaround I've found (which isn't the greatest) is to ensure
that the tables and borders toolbar is always visible when I'm working
with a table (click VIEW>Toolbars>Tables and Borders). It allows you
to change the border, but it appears as a pencil and you have to click
on each line colour /size you want changed individually. Then to get
rid of the "pencil" you click on it again (but then you get the big
dialogue box appearing which you have to cancel.)

Sorry I wasn't more help, hopefully someone else will have a better
solution.

Best of luck with this!

Karen

Karen,

Thanks for the comments.

Ray