Microsoft Word for Office 365 provides a variety of tools to help organize content, including tables, text boxes, and gridlines. Gridlines are the faint lines you see in tables or layouts, which can help align content but are sometimes unnecessary or distracting in your final document. Knowing how to remove gridlines in Word can make your document cleaner and more professional.
In this guide, you’ll learn multiple methods to remove gridlines, whether they appear in tables, text boxes, or page layouts.
Why Remove Gridlines in Word?
Gridlines in Word are useful for design and alignment, but sometimes you want a clean document for:
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Professional reports
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Printed documents
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Presentations or handouts
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Forms or templates
Removing gridlines enhances readability and presentation quality.
Method 1: Remove Table Gridlines
If you see faint lines in your table, those are gridlines and are not printed—they’re for layout purposes.
Steps:
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Open your Word document and click inside the table.
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Go to the Table Tools tab at the top of the screen.
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Click Layout → View Gridlines (under the Table group).
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Toggle off “View Gridlines.”
✅ The table will now appear without the faint gray lines, while your actual borders (if any) remain intact.
Method 2: Remove Borders in Tables
Sometimes you see lines because table borders are applied. To remove them:
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Click inside the table.
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Go to Table Tools → Design.
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In the Borders group, click Borders → No Border.
Now the table will be completely invisible, with no lines showing in the document.
Method 3: Remove Gridlines from Text Boxes or Shapes
Gridlines can also appear when using text boxes or shapes:
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Click on the text box or shape.
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Go to the Shape Format tab.
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Click Shape Outline → No Outline.
This removes any visible gridlines or borders from your text box or shape.
Method 4: Remove Drawing Gridlines on the Page
Word has an optional grid layout for aligning objects on the page. To remove these lines:
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Go to the Layout tab.
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Click Align → View Gridlines.
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Uncheck View Gridlines.
This will hide the page alignment gridlines, leaving your content clean.
Tips for Managing Gridlines in Word
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Gridlines vs. Borders: Gridlines are for reference and are not printed. Borders are actual lines that will print.
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Toggle On/Off: You can toggle gridlines visibility anytime without affecting your document layout.
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Print Preview: Gridlines never appear in printed documents, so always check print layout before finalizing.
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Combine Methods: If you see faint lines after removing one type, check all table, shape, and page gridline settings.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Will removing gridlines delete my table content?
No. Removing gridlines only hides the visual lines. Your table and its content remain intact.
2. Why do some gridlines still appear?
Check if borders are applied or if multiple types of gridlines (table, shape, page) are active.
3. Can I remove gridlines but keep table borders?
Yes. Turn off View Gridlines instead of No Border to hide only the reference lines.
4. Do gridlines appear when I print the document?
No. Gridlines are for layout purposes only and do not appear in printed documents.
Final Thoughts
Removing gridlines in Microsoft Word for Office 365 is straightforward once you know which type of gridline you’re dealing with—table, text box, shape, or page layout. By following these simple methods, you can create a clean, professional document free of unnecessary lines while keeping all your content intact.
