You want to apply a custom table style in Word to save time and keep your documents consistent. Word includes built-in table styles, but you can create your own with specific border colors, shading, font settings, and alignment rules. This article explains how to create, save, and apply a custom table style in Word for Windows and Mac. You will also learn how to set your custom style as the default for new tables.
Key Takeaways: Creating and Using Custom Table Styles in Word
- Table Design tab > More arrow > New Table Style: Opens the full style creation dialog where you set formatting for each table element.
- Format button within the New Table Style dialog: Lets you define borders, shading, font, paragraph, and alignment settings for the whole table or specific rows and columns.
- Right-click the custom style > Set as Default: Makes your style the automatic choice for every new table you insert in that document or template.
Understanding Custom Table Styles in Word
A custom table style is a saved set of formatting rules that you can apply to any table with one click. Unlike manual formatting, a style updates all tables that use it when you modify the style. Word stores custom styles in the active document by default. If you want the style available in all new documents, you must save it to the Normal.dotm template.
Before you create a custom style, decide which table elements you want to format differently. Word lets you target these parts individually:
- Whole table
- Header row
- Total row
- First column
- Last column
- Band rows (even and odd)
- Band columns (even and odd)
You can also set formatting for cells that are in multiple categories at once, such as the header row combined with the first column.
Steps to Create and Apply a Custom Table Style
Follow these steps to build a custom style from scratch and use it on any table in your document.
- Insert a table to use as a preview
Go to Insert > Table and choose a grid size, for example 3 columns by 4 rows. A table is required to see your formatting changes live in the style editor. - Open the Table Design tab
Click inside the table. The Table Design tab appears on the ribbon. If you are on a Mac, the tab may be labeled Table Design or Table depending on your version. - Open the More arrow and select New Table Style
In the Table Styles gallery, click the More arrow (a small arrow at the bottom-right of the gallery). Then choose New Table Style from the menu. A dialog box opens. - Name your custom style
In the Name field, type a descriptive name such as “Project Report Table” or “Financial Data Blue”. - Set the style type and formatting
In the Apply formatting to drop-down list, select the table element you want to format first, such as Header row. Then click the Format button in the bottom-left corner. Choose from these options:– Font: Change font name, size, color, bold, italic, or underline.
– Border: Set border style, color, and width for the selected element.
– Shading: Fill cells with a solid color, gradient, or pattern.
– Paragraph: Adjust alignment, indentation, and spacing.Repeat this step for each element you want to format: Whole table, Header row, Total row, First column, Last column, Band rows, and Band columns.
- Preview and adjust the style
As you apply formatting, the preview area in the dialog shows how the table will look. If something is off, select the element again and change its formatting. - Decide where to save the style
At the bottom of the dialog, check the option Only in this document or New documents based on this template. Choose the template option if you want the style available in every new document you create. - Apply the custom style to your table
Click OK to close the dialog. Your new style appears in the Table Styles gallery under Custom. Select the table, then click the custom style in the gallery to apply it.
Modify an Existing Built-in Style Instead of Starting from Scratch
If you prefer to edit a built-in style rather than create one from zero, right-click any style in the Table Styles gallery and choose Modify Table Style. The same formatting options appear, and you can save the modified version as a new custom style by giving it a new name.
Set Your Custom Style as the Default for All New Tables
To make Word automatically use your custom style when you insert a new table, follow these steps:
- Right-click your custom style in the Table Styles gallery
Choose Set as Default from the context menu. A dialog asks whether to apply this to the current document or to all documents based on the template. Select All documents based on the Normal template to make it global. - Confirm the choice
Click OK. Now every new table you insert using Insert > Table will use your custom style automatically.
Common Mistakes and Limitations When Using Custom Table Styles
Custom Style Disappears After Closing Word
If you did not save the style to the template, it lives only in the current document. When you open a new blank document, the style is not available. To fix this, open the document where the style exists, right-click the style in the gallery, and choose Modify Table Style. At the bottom, select New documents based on this template and click OK.
Formatting Does Not Apply to the Entire Table
This happens when you apply formatting only to the Whole table element but also have conflicting formatting on specific elements like Header row or Band rows. Always check each element in the Apply formatting to list and remove or override unwanted settings. Use the Clear option in the Format menu to reset an element.
Borders or Shading Do Not Display Correctly
Some document themes restrict certain colors or border widths. Go to Design > Themes and switch to a different theme if your custom colors are not showing. Also verify that the table does not have direct formatting applied after the style. Select the table and click Clear All in the Styles pane to remove direct formatting.
Custom Style Cannot Be Shared with Other Users
Custom table styles are not automatically included when you email a document. To share a style, save the document as a template (.dotx) that contains the style. Send the template file to the other user. They can open the template and then copy the style into their own Normal.dotm using the Organizer feature: Developer > Document Template > Organizer.
Custom Table Style in Word for Windows vs Word for Mac: Key Differences
| Item | Word for Windows | Word for Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Ribbon tab name | Table Design | Table Design |
| Accessing New Table Style | More arrow in Table Styles gallery | More arrow in Table Styles gallery |
| Format button location | Bottom-left corner of New Table Style dialog | Bottom-left corner of New Table Style dialog |
| Saving to template | Checkbox in dialog: New documents based on this template | Checkbox in dialog: New documents based on this template |
| Setting as default | Right-click style > Set as Default | Right-click style > Set as Default |
| Organizer for sharing styles | Developer tab > Document Template > Organizer | Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Organizer |
The steps and dialog boxes are nearly identical on both platforms. The main difference is the location of the Organizer tool for advanced style management. On Mac, find it under the Tools menu instead of the Developer tab.
You can now create, save, and apply a custom table style in Word that matches your brand or document standards. Start by building a style with the New Table Style dialog and set it as the default for new tables. To manage multiple custom styles across documents, use the Organizer tool to copy styles between templates. For consistent formatting, always modify the style rather than applying manual overrides to individual tables.