How to Make a Thicker Bottom Border in Microsoft Excel

To make a thicker bottom border in Excel, select the cells, go to the Home tab, click the arrow next to Borders in the Font group, and choose Thick Bottom Border. For a different thickness or color, choose More Borders, pick a heavier line under Style, and click the bottom border button in the preview.

These steps follow Microsoft’s Apply or remove cell borders on a worksheet and Change the width of cell borders articles and work in Excel for Microsoft 365 and recent versions on Windows. Below you will find the quick method, the custom method, how to make an existing border thicker, how to go beyond Excel’s heaviest line, and how to remove a border.

How to add a thick bottom border

1. Select the cell or range of cells.
2. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the arrow next to Borders.
3. Choose Thick Bottom Border. To add a thin line on top as well, choose Top and Thick Bottom Border.

Result: a heavy line appears under the selection. Microsoft notes that a range is treated as one block, so the line is added only under the last row you selected. The Borders button then remembers this style, so you can click the button itself (not the arrow) to apply it to other cells.

How to make a custom thick border

1. Select the cells.
2. Click the arrow next to Borders and choose More Borders.
3. On the Border tab, under Line, pick the thickest solid line in the Style box.
4. Pick a Color if you want one.
5. Under Border, click the bottom border button in the preview diagram.
6. Click OK.

Result: the bottom border uses the line style and color you chose. You can also pick a double line here for a “total” row look.

How to make an existing border thicker

1. Select the cells that already have the border.
2. Right-click and choose Format Cells, then open the Border tab.
3. Choose a thicker style in the Line box.
4. Click the existing border in the preview (or the matching Presets button) to apply the new style to it.
5. Check the preview, then click OK.

Result: Microsoft says Excel uses a thin line by default; this replaces it with the heavier style you picked.

How to get a border thicker than Excel allows

The Border tab offers three thicknesses of solid line. If the thickest one still isn’t heavy enough, try drawing a rectangle over the cells:

1. On the Insert tab, click Shapes and choose a rectangle.
2. Hold Alt while you drag so the rectangle snaps to the cell edges.
3. Set the shape’s fill to No Fill and make the outline as thick as you like.
4. In the shape’s properties, choose Move and size with cells so it stays in place.

Result: the outline looks like a very heavy border. For just a heavy bottom line, draw a straight line shape instead and set its weight.

Other ways to draw borders

• Draw Borders: click the Borders arrow, choose Line Style and Line Color, pick Draw Borders, and drag across the cells.
• Cell style: on the Home tab, choose Cell Styles › New Cell Style, click Format, and set the border, so you can reuse a thick bottom border anywhere.

How to remove the border

Select the cells, click the arrow next to Borders, and choose No Border. To remove just one line, choose Erase Border and click the lines you want gone.

Frequently asked questions

Will the border print?

Yes. Microsoft notes that cell borders appear on printed pages, unlike gridlines, which only print if you turn them on.

Why did the cell next to mine get a border too?

Borders sit on shared edges. Microsoft explains that a border on one cell also shows on the neighboring cell that shares that edge, and the most recently applied border wins.

Related: How to print gridlines in Excel, How to color cells in Excel, and How to insert an arrow in Excel.