How to make a three-line table for graduation thesis: Word table border setting

Explain how to make a three-line table in Word in your graduation thesis: first remove all the frame lines, and then keep only the top line, header line and bottom line, along with inspection points and common questions. Suitable for students who format thesis forms according to school format requirements.

Key points of this article

  • The three-line table only retains three horizontal lines: the top line, the lower line of the table header and the bottom line. There are no vertical lines or internal horizontal lines.
  • The method is to first cancel all the borders of the entire table, and then add the required horizontal lines one by one.
  • The top line and bottom line are usually thicker than the header line, and the line type must be consistent, otherwise the layers will be unclear after printing.
  • After completion, check each box to see if the vertical lines remain, and check whether the positions of the table titles and notes meet the school's requirements.

When many people write their graduation thesis, the table defaults to full grid lines, which looks like a daily report. A common requirement for schools and journals is a three-line table: only three horizontal lines: upper, middle, and lower, no vertical lines, and no other internal horizontal lines. It is not difficult to create this effect in Word, but you must clearly understand the order of "cancel first, then add", otherwise it is easy to leave unnecessary lines.

This article is written for undergraduate and graduate students who need to format their thesis tables according to the school format requirements. After reading, you can change an ordinary table into a standard three-line table in Word, and know what to check after finishing, and how to deal with the table when it crosses the page or the lines are wrong. The method in this article is a universal operation of Word and does not depend on a specific version or plug-in.

How to make a three-line grid in Word in your graduation thesis? One sentence conclusion

First select the entire table and set all borders to None; then add horizontal lines above the first row, below the header row and below the last row, leaving all other lines untouched. What is obtained in this way is the three-line table commonly used in graduation thesis.

your situationRecommended practicesreason
The school requires a standard three-line form with less content.Cancel all borders and add only three horizontal linesThe operation is straightforward and the results are consistent with the format requirements.
The table has multi-level headersAdd a thin line below the bottom row of the table header, and the top line is still above the first rowHorizontal lines are usually not added between multi-level headers to avoid cutting off the header structure.
Table spread across pagesThe header row of the continuation table is displayed repeatedly, and the underline is no longer added on the continuation page.Conforms to common formatting habits, and readers can understand the content of the continuation table.
The school has other templates or format filesFirst adjust according to the table style of the school template, and then check the line type and line width.School requirements take priority, personal habits give way to templates
The table was originally pasted from other files.First clear the original borders and shading, and then reset themRemaining old frame lines are a common source of errors

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Confirm the following items before you start, which can save time for repeated revision.

  • confirm the specific requirements of the school. * different schools have different regulations on linetype, linewidth and location of table questions. Some require the questions to be at the top of the form, while others are allowed to be placed at the bottom. According to the format specification issued by the school, this paper gives a general practice.
  • confirm the structure of the form. * count how many rows there are in the header of the table and whether there are merged cells. The bottom row of the multi-level header is the position of the header line, and the top line is added only above the first row.

- confirm whether some vertical bars need to be retained. the standard form of a three-wire table should not be vertical. If there is any special content in the form that needs to be separated, communicate with the instructor first instead of keeping a vertical bar in the table. -prepare the linetype and lineweight. the common practice is to use thicker solid lines for the top and bottom lines and thinner solid lines for the lower line of the meter. The specific value shall prevail according to the requirements of the school, and the linetype of the three lines shall be maintained when setting. - fill in the content before adjusting the border. after the content of the table changes, the number of rows may change and the position of the lines will be misplaced. Finalize the content first, and then make the frame at last.

# steps to set the frame of a three-line table in Word

  1. insert the form and fill in the contents. insert the table according to the number of rows and rows required for the paper, fill in the data and header text, and do not adjust the border for the time being.
  2. Select the entire table. place the cursor in the table and use the full selection operation of the table to ensure that all cells are selected.
  3. cancel all frame lines. Open the border setting and unframe all the borders of the whole table, leaving only the blank form.
  4. add top line. Select the first row, add only the top border to the row in the border setting, and select the thicker solid line for the linetype. This one will be the top line of the three-wire table.
  5. add header offline. Select the last row of the header, add only the bottom border for the row, and select a thinner solid line for the linetype. In the case of a multi-level header, the line is added only below the bottom row.
  6. add a bottom line. * Select the last row (the last row of data) and add only the bottom border to the row. The linetype is the same as the top line, usually a thicker solid line.
  7. uniformly align with fonts. * the form is centered as a whole, the header text is centered, and the data are aligned according to the requirements of the paper. The font and font size are consistent with the text or school table specifications.
  8. Preview and save. * View the results in print preview or page view, confirm that there are only three horizontal lines left, and save the file.

# check item by item after completion

After the form is done, itemized inspection is more reliable than direct submission, especially vertical bar residue and spread problems, which can be easily ignored by the naked eye.

Check itemWhat do you think?What if there's a problem?
Whether the vertical lines all disappearZoom in to see if there are any lines between the cells column by columnCheck the whole table and unframe again, and then add only three horizontal lines
Is the internal horizontal line redundant?See if there are horizontal lines between the rows of dataCheck the redundant line and unframe it.
Is the position of the three horizontal lines correct?The top line is above the first row, the header line is below the bottom row of the header, and the bottom line is below the last row.Follow the steps to reselect the corresponding row settings
Whether the linetype and lineweight are unifiedCompare the thickness of the top line, the header line and the bottom lineReapply after uniformly selecting linetype
Whether the form spreads or notSee if the form is truncated at the bottom of the pageSet the header line to repeat, or adjust the paragraph and page position
Table questions and position of table notesCheck whether the list questions are above or below against the school norms.Adjust the position and format of the paragraphs on the table

If the color of the printed line becomes lighter or intermittent, check whether the linetype is dotted or dotted, and then make sure that the print settings are output as is.

# Core comparison

Compared with other common table styles, the difference between three-line table method and other common table styles mainly lies in the number of frame lines and visual level.

Table styleFrame and line characteristicsSuitable for the situation
Three-wire tableOnly top line, header line and bottom line, no vertical lineThe standard form required by most dissertations and journals, the content is clean to read
Full frame line tableEvery cell has a border.Daily reports and internal materials are crowded in papers, and schools usually do not approve them.
Wireless meterThere is no horizontal line at all, only by leaving blank to distinguish the ranks.Simple illustrative tables are easy to read in series and are not suitable for tables with more data.

# frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. Does the three-wire meter have to thicken the top line and bottom line?

The requirement of most schools is that the top and bottom lines are thicker than the meter lines, and the meter lines are thinner. The specific line width shall be subject to the school standard, and when there is no clear stipulation, the three lines can be clearly distinguished.

2. After the spread of the form, do you still need the third line to renew the form?

A continuation table usually retains the header row and refines the line below the header. The top line is only used for the home page, and the bottom line of the continuation page is usually added at the end of the whole table. The specific approach depends on the requirements of the school.

3. Are there any errors in the lines of the merged cells in the table?

After the cells are merged, the position of the lines may change. It is recommended to complete the merger first, then set three horizontal lines, and then check them one by one.

4. Why are there always extra lines for tables copied from other files?

Copied tables often have the original border and shading settings. Clearing the original frame and shading first, and then resetting it step by step, can usually solve the problem.

5. Should the questions be placed at the top or bottom of the form?

It depends on the format of the school. Some schools require the questions to be at the top of the form, while others are allowed to put them at the bottom. Check the paper format requirements of the school before doing it to avoid rework.

# Summary

How to do the Word three-line grid in the graduation thesis, the core is to cancel all the frame lines, and then only add horizontal lines for the top line, the header line and the bottom line. After completion, check the residual vertical bar, uniform linetype and spread one by one, and check the position of the list questions against the norms of the school.

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Updated 2026-11-11