w:tcBorders (Table Cell Borders)

Defines the border style for each edge (top, bottom, left, right, diagonal) of an individual table cell.

Parent elements

w:tcPr

Description

w:tcBorders specifies the border settings for the individual sides and diagonals of a single table cell. It is defined in ECMA-376 Part 1 §17.4.67.

Cell-level borders in w:tcBorders override table-level defaults set in w:tblBorders. Each border edge (w:top, w:bottom, w:left, w:right) can have independent styling, and diagonal borders (w:tl2br, w:tr2bl) add visual emphasis. Using w:val="nil" completely suppresses an inherited border.

Attributes

Attribute	Type	Possible Values	Description
(none)	—	—	All borders are specified via child elements: `w:top`, `w:left`, `w:bottom`, `w:right`, `w:insideH`, `w:insideV`, `w:tl2br`, `w:tr2bl`.

Each border child element supports the same attributes as described in w:tblBorders.

Examples

<w:tcPr>
  <w:tcBorders>
    <w:top w:val="double" w:sz="4" w:space="0" w:color="000000"/>
    <w:bottom w:val="nil"/>
  </w:tcBorders>
</w:tcPr>

new TableCellBorders(
  new TopBorder { Val = BorderValues.Double, Size = 4, Space = 0, Color = "000000" },
  new BottomBorder { Val = BorderValues.Nil });

Notes

Precedence: Cell borders override table borders and table styles.
Diagonal Borders: w:tl2br and w:tr2bl are only valid in w:tcBorders, not in table-level w:tblBorders.
Size in Eighths: Border w:sz is in eighths-of-a-point; use sz=”8” for 1 point.
Space Attribute: w:space controls distance in points between border and cell content.
Nil Override: Use w:val="nil" to force removal of borders inherited from table or style.
Alternating Rows: Combine cell borders with w:shd for visually distinct row patterns.
Compatibility: All border styles render consistently in Office 2007+.