Place the insertion point in a table or select a cell.
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Add alternating strokes and fills
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to apply strokes and fills to table rows or columns in Adobe InDesign to improve readability.
Add alternating strokes and fills to tables in InDesign to apply patterns across rows or columns. This helps improve readability and create visual rhythm in tables. Alternating patterns apply to body cells and can be customized independently for rows or columns.
Apply alternating strokes to table rows or columns
Select Table > Table Options > Alternating Row Strokes or Alternating Column Strokes.
Select an alternating pattern from the Alternating Pattern drop-down menu.
Set weight, type, color, tint, and gap color for First and Next rows.
Set Skip First to exclude rows or columns at the beginning, and Skip Last to exclude rows or columns at the end.
Select Preserve Local Formatting to keep existing stroke formatting on individual cells.
Select OK.
Apply alternating fills to table rows or columns
Place the insertion point in a table or select a cell.
Select Table > Table Options > Alternating Fills.
Select an alternating pattern from the Alternating Pattern drop-down menu.
Set color and tint for First and Next rows.
Set Skip First to exclude rows or columns at the beginning and Skip Last to exclude rows or columns at the end.
Select Preserve Local Formatting to keep existing fill formatting on individual cells.
Select OK.
Turn off alternating strokes or fills
Place the insertion point in a table or select a cell.
Select Table > Table Options > Alternating Row Strokes, Alternating Column Strokes, or Alternating Fills.
Select None from the Alternating Pattern drop-down menu.
Select OK.
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