Avoid using row or column borders unless the data alignment, spacing and grouping are not sufficient to guide your reader’s eye. If you do need to use rules for this purpose, use them in one direction only and employ a lighter colour to reduce the impact of the lines: you are making a distinction, not constructing a barricade.Web Typography: Designing Tables to be Read, Not Looked At
Postpone drawing the actual outline until you have an idea where it is. Just drawing any line isn’t going to make it the right one. Better to ignore drawing the contour altogether and focus on proportion, contrast, weight, the white shapes as well as the black shapeGetting Started With Type Design: A Personal Journey
