Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Erasing Table Lines.

Erasing Table Lines

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 10, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

One of the neat things you can do with Word is to draw tables using the tools provided by the program. With you table created, you can easily erase any of the lines that make up your table. The result is a table that looks just the way you want it. To erase table lines, follow these steps:

Create your table as you normally would.
Choose the Toolbars option from the View menu, and make sure Tables and Borders is selected from the resulting submenu.
Click on the Eraser tool on the toolbar. This is the one just to the right of the tool that looks like a pencil.
Click and drag to select the table lines you want to erase.
Click on the Eraser tool again (on the toolbar) or press the Esc key. This turns off the Eraser tool.
Close the Tables and Borders toolbar when finished.

You should note that when you erase a line that is a common border between two cells, the two cells are merged. If you try to erase an exterior line from a cell (one that does not border another cell), then the visible table border is removed, but the cell still remains.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (868) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Erasing Table Lines.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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