diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.js b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.js
index 2b799627e3..873466c296 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.js
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { pixelsToTwips, inchesToTwips, twipsToPixels } from '@converter/helpers';
+import { pixelsToTwips, inchesToTwips, twipsToPixels, normalizeHexColor, isValidHexColor } from '@converter/helpers';
 import { translateChildNodes } from '@converter/v2/exporter/helpers/index';
 import { translator as tcPrTranslator } from '../../tcPr';
 import {
@@ -73,8 +73,11 @@ export function generateTableCellProperties(node) {
 
   // Background
   const { background = {} } = attrs;
-  if (background?.color && tableCellProperties.shading?.fill !== background?.color) {
-    tableCellProperties['shading'] = { fill: background.color };
+  if (background?.color) {
+    const fill = normalizeHexColor(background.color);
+    if (fill && isValidHexColor(fill) && tableCellProperties.shading?.fill?.toUpperCase() !== fill) {
+      tableCellProperties['shading'] = { fill, val: 'clear' };
+    }
   } else if (!background?.color && tableCellProperties?.shading?.fill) {
     delete tableCellProperties.shading;
   }
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.test.js b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.test.js
index 2e44291fdf..90d67fb4b1 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.test.js
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/super-converter/v3/handlers/w/tc/helpers/translate-table-cell.test.js
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ describe('translate-table-cell helpers', () => {
     // gridSpan
     expect(byName['w:gridSpan'].attributes['w:val']).toBe('2');
 
-    // background
-    expect(byName['w:shd'].attributes['w:fill']).toBe('#FF00FF');
+    // background - OOXML requires bare 6-char hex (no #) and w:val="clear" for solid fills
+    expect(byName['w:shd'].attributes['w:fill']).toBe('FF00FF');
+    expect(byName['w:shd'].attributes['w:val']).toBe('clear');
 
     // tcMar
     const mar = byName['w:tcMar'];
@@ -348,6 +349,21 @@ describe('translate-table-cell helpers', () => {
     // mocked child from translateChildNodes
     expect(out.elements[1]).toMatchObject({ name: 'w:p' });
   });
+
+  it('generateTableCellProperties strips # from background color and adds val:clear', () => {
+    const node = { attrs: { background: { color: '#A1B2C3' } } };
+    const tcPr = generateTableCellProperties(node);
+    const shd = tcPr.elements.find((e) => e.name === 'w:shd');
+    expect(shd.attributes['w:fill']).toBe('A1B2C3');
+    expect(shd.attributes['w:val']).toBe('clear');
+  });
+
+  it('generateTableCellProperties does not write w:shd for non-hex background (e.g. auto)', () => {
+    const node = { attrs: { colwidth: [100], widthUnit: 'px', background: { color: 'auto' } } };
+    const tcPr = generateTableCellProperties(node);
+    const shd = tcPr.elements.find((e) => e.name === 'w:shd');
+    expect(shd).toBeUndefined();
+  });
 });
 
 /** Helper: extract w:tcW element from a generateTableCellProperties result */