diff --git a/docs/changes/1.x/1.4.0.md b/docs/changes/1.x/1.4.0.md
index 2afadebd5f..634d1d6f31 100644
--- a/docs/changes/1.x/1.4.0.md
+++ b/docs/changes/1.x/1.4.0.md
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
 - Add basic ruby text (phonetic guide) support for Word2007 and HTML Reader/Writer, RTF Writer, basic support for ODT writing by [@Deadpikle](https://github.com/Deadpikle) in [#2727](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2727)
 - Reader HTML: Support font styles for h1/h6 by [@Progi1984](https://github.com/Progi1984) fixing [#2619](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/2619) in [#2737](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2737)
 - Writer EPub3: Basic support by [@Sambit003](https://github.com/Sambit003) fixing [#55](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/55) in [#2724](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2724)
-  
+- Writer2007: Added support for background and border color transparency in Text Box element [@chudy20007](https://github.com/Chudy20007) in [#2555](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2555)
+
 ### Bug fixes
 
 - Writer ODText: Support for images inside a textRun by [@Progi1984](https://github.com/Progi1984) fixing [#2240](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/2240) in [#2668](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2668)
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@
 - Reader Word2007: Support Header elements within Title elements by [@SpraxDev](https://github.com/SpraxDev) fixing [#2616](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/2616), [#2426](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/2426) in [#2674](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2674)
 - Reader HTML: Support for inherit value for property line-height by [@Progi1984](https://github.com/Progi1984) fixing [#2683](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/2683) in [#2733](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2733)
 - Writer HTML: Fixed null string for Text Elements by [@armagedon007](https://github.com/armagedon007) and [@Progi1984](https://github.com/Progi1984) in [#2738](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2738)
+- Template Processor: Fix 0 considered as empty string by [@cavasinf](https://github.com/cavasinf), [@SnipsMine](https://github.com/SnipsMine) and [@Progi1984](https://github.com/Progi1984) fixing [#2572](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/2572), [#2703](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/issues/2703) in [#2748](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPWord/pull/2748)
 
 ### Miscellaneous
 
diff --git a/src/PhpWord/TemplateProcessor.php b/src/PhpWord/TemplateProcessor.php
index 06026e19d3..c9bfcb1dc3 100644
--- a/src/PhpWord/TemplateProcessor.php
+++ b/src/PhpWord/TemplateProcessor.php
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ protected static function ensureMacroCompleted($macro)
      */
     protected static function ensureUtf8Encoded($subject)
     {
-        return $subject ? Text::toUTF8($subject) : '';
+        return (null !== $subject) ? Text::toUTF8($subject) : '';
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/PhpWord/Writer/Word2007/Element/TextBox.php b/src/PhpWord/Writer/Word2007/Element/TextBox.php
index e005480802..79011d8d6f 100644
--- a/src/PhpWord/Writer/Word2007/Element/TextBox.php
+++ b/src/PhpWord/Writer/Word2007/Element/TextBox.php
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ public function write(): void
 
         if ($style->getBgColor()) {
             $xmlWriter->writeAttribute('fillcolor', $style->getBgColor());
+        } else {
+            $xmlWriter->writeAttribute('filled', 'f');
+        }
+
+        if (!$style->getBorderColor()) {
+            $xmlWriter->writeAttribute('stroked', 'f');
+            $xmlWriter->writeAttribute('strokecolor', 'white');
         }
 
         $styleWriter->write();
diff --git a/tests/PhpWordTests/TemplateProcessorTest.php b/tests/PhpWordTests/TemplateProcessorTest.php
index 9ba6933e74..d031eb75c1 100644
--- a/tests/PhpWordTests/TemplateProcessorTest.php
+++ b/tests/PhpWordTests/TemplateProcessorTest.php
@@ -1641,4 +1641,101 @@ public function testShouldMakeFieldsUpdateOnOpenWithCustomMacro(): void
         $templateProcessor->setUpdateFields(false);
         self::assertStringContainsString('<w:updateFields w:val="false"/>', $templateProcessor->getSettingsPart());
     }
+
+    public function testEnsureUtf8Encoded(): void
+    {
+        $mainPart = '<w:tbl>
+            <w:tr>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:tcPr>
+                        <w:vMerge w:val="restart"/>
+                    </w:tcPr>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=1>${stringZero}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=2>${intZero}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=3>${stringTest}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=4>${null}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=5>${floatZero}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=6>${intTen}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=7>${boolFalse}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+                <w:tc>
+                    <w:p>
+                        <w:r>
+                            <w:t t=8>${boolTrue}</w:t>
+                        </w:r>
+                    </w:p>
+                </w:tc>
+            </w:tr>
+        </w:tbl>';
+        $templateProcessor = new TestableTemplateProcesor($mainPart);
+
+        self::assertEquals(
+            ['stringZero', 'intZero', 'stringTest', 'null', 'floatZero', 'intTen', 'boolFalse', 'boolTrue'],
+            $templateProcessor->getVariables()
+        );
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('stringZero', '0');
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=1>0</w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('intZero', 0);
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=2>0</w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('stringTest', 'test');
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=3>test</w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('null', null);
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=4></w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('floatZero', 0.00);
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=5>0</w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('intTen', 10);
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=6>10</w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('boolFalse', false);
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=7></w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+
+        $templateProcessor->setValue('boolTrue', true);
+        self::assertStringContainsString('<w:t t=8>1</w:t>', $templateProcessor->getMainPart());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/PhpWordTests/Writer/Word2007/Element/TextBoxTest.php b/tests/PhpWordTests/Writer/Word2007/Element/TextBoxTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d4df65298
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/PhpWordTests/Writer/Word2007/Element/TextBoxTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace PhpOffice\PhpWordTests\Writer\Word2007\Element;
+
+use PhpOffice\PhpWord\Element\TextBox as TextBoxElement;
+use PhpOffice\PhpWord\Shared\XMLWriter;
+use PhpOffice\PhpWord\Style\TextBox as TextBoxStyle;
+use PhpOffice\PhpWord\Writer\Word2007\Element\TextBox;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+class TextBoxTest extends TestCase
+{
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider textBoxColorProvider
+     */
+    public function testTextBoxGeneratesCorrectXml(
+        ?string $bgColor,
+        ?string $borderColor,
+        string $expectedFillColorAttribute,
+        string $expectedBorderColorAttribute
+    ): void {
+        // Arrange
+        $xmlWriter = new XMLWriter();
+        $style = new TextBoxStyle();
+
+        if ($bgColor !== null) {
+            $style->setBgColor($bgColor);
+        }
+
+        if ($borderColor !== null) {
+            $style->setBorderColor($borderColor);
+        }
+
+        $textBoxElement = new TextBoxElement($style);
+        $textBox = new TextBox($xmlWriter, $textBoxElement);
+
+        // Act
+        $textBox->write();
+        $output = $xmlWriter->getData();
+
+        // Assert
+        self::assertStringContainsString($expectedFillColorAttribute, $output, 'Background color should be applied.');
+        self::assertStringContainsString($expectedBorderColorAttribute, $output, 'Border color should be applied correctly.');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Data provider for testing different combinations of background and border colors.
+     */
+    public static function textBoxColorProvider(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            // Case 1: Background color set, border color set
+            'With both colors' => [
+                '#FF0000',
+                '#000000',
+                'fillcolor="#FF0000"',
+                'stroke color="#000000"',
+            ],
+            // Case 2: Background color set, no border color
+            'With background only' => [
+                '#00FF00',
+                null,
+                'fillcolor="#00FF00"',
+                'stroked="f" strokecolor="white"',
+            ],
+            // Case 3: No background color, border color set
+            'With border only' => [
+                null,
+                '#123456',
+                'filled="f"',
+                'stroke color="#123456"',
+            ],
+            // Case 4: Neither background nor border color set
+            'Without any colors' => [
+                null,
+                null,
+                'filled="f"',
+                'stroked="f" strokecolor="white"',
+            ],
+        ];
+    }
+}