Borders remain an essential part of several Google Docs projects. Not only do they help your document look more sophisticated and professional, but they also have a more comprehensive range of applications. However, the feature falls on the advanced side of things, and most users don’t yet know how to insert a border in Google Docs.
Fortunately, we have put together this thorough guide for you. It shows different ways to utilize borders in Google Docs.
Part 1: Using Drawing to Add a Border in Google Docs
Step 1: Open Google Docs and load your document.
You open Google Docs in your web browser. Load the document by pressing ‘file’ and selecting ‘open’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: Access the Drawing interface.
Click ‘Insert’ and select ‘Drawing’, then click ‘New.’
Step 3: Access Google Drawing.
Once you perform Step 2 above, the Google Drawing interface will open up.
Step 4: Select the Rectangle Format by clicking on ‘Shape’.
Clicking ‘Shape’ opens a dropdown menu where you select ‘Shapes’ and then pick ‘Rectangle.’
Step 5: Make a rectangle of medium size.
Click and drag your right mouse button to draw the interface's shape.
Step 6: Make your rectangle transparent.
Remove the mild-blue filler color by clicking the ‘fill color’ icon and selecting the ‘Transparent’ option.
Step 7: Modify the border weight.
Click ‘Border Weight’ and select your preferred choice from the available options.
Step 8: Save and close the interface.
Click the ‘Save and Close’ button on the top-right corner of the drawing interface.
Step 9: Make the inserted rectangle appear behind your writeup.
Left-click on the rectangle and select the ‘Behind text’ option. That moves it behind everything you already typed.
Step 10: Modify the rectangle’s properties.
Click ‘Move with the text’ and change it to ‘Fix position on the page.’
Step 11: Scale the rectangle to accommodate your text block.
Click on the rectangle’s borders and drag to increase or decrease its size.
Note: This method allows the most creativity. It works best for adding decorative borders in Google Docs.
Part 2: Using a Table to Add a Border in Google Docs
Step 1: Open Google Docs and create a new document.
This method works best when applied to a blank document before you begin typing.
Step 2: Insert a table with a dimension of 1×1.
Click ‘Insert’ and select ‘Table’ from the drop-down menu. Then, click just one square for the dimensions.
Step 3: Access the table’s properties.
Click ‘Format’ and select ‘Table,’ then click ‘Table Properties’.
Alternatively, you can place your cursor within the table and right-click it. The ‘Table Properties’ option is at the bottom of the drop-down.
Step 4: Modify the table’s border color.
Accessing the table’s properties allows you to change color by clicking on the ‘Color’ option. Simply select your preferred border color.
Step 5: Modify the table’s border width.
You will find this option next to the interface for changing the border color. Click on it, and you can select any of the values based on your preference.
Step 6: Scale the table to apply the borders to the document page.
Move your mouse cursor to the table’s borders till it changes to a bi-directional arrow. Click and drag to adjust the table’s size.
Step 7: Proceed to begin entering your texts and writeup.
Once you finish Step 6, you can begin adding your content.
Part 3: Add a Border Around a Paragraph in Google Docs
Step 1: Open Google Docs.
Load up your document and highlight whichever paragraph needs a border.
Step 2: Navigate to the ‘Borders and Shading’ option.
Click on ‘Format’ and select ‘Paragraph Styles’. That will open a series of options, the first being ‘Borders and Shading.’
Step 3: Tweak the border width.
Following Step 2 will open up a dialogue box where you can edit the border width to your taste.
You can change properties, including border color, width, style, and paragraph padding. That allows you to go creative with the options given to you.
Step 4: Don’t forget to select all preferred positions for the border.
This option is the first on the dialogue box that is overlooked. It allows you to choose the area(s) where the border will appear.
Step 5: Apply your settings.
Click ‘Apply’ at the bottom of the dialogue box to execute this step.
Note: This method and the one discussed in the previous sections show how to add a beautiful border in Google Docs.
Part 4: Add a Border Around an Image in Google Docs.
Step 1: Open Google Docs and load your document.
Step 2: Select your image or insert a new one.
Step 3: Identify the relevant icons on the Toolbar.
The toolbar changes when you select your image. At the top, a bit to the right, you will see the options that give you control over the image’s borders.
Step 4: Pick a border color for your image.
The pen icon on the toolbar exists for this purpose. It presents several color options for your image border.
Step 5: Pick a border width for your image.
The option for changing your image’s border width is the next icon after the one for border color. Click it and select your preferred choice from the various options.
Step 6: Pick your image’s border style.
The last icon of the three grants you control over your image’s border style.
Note: This method is fast and applies the changes and modifications in real-time. While you can add a border around an image using the ‘Draw’ feature, it takes longer for the same result.
Part 5: Where Can Add a Border Easily or Find Free Templates of Decorative Borders—WPS
Google Docs offers several wonderful features but currently lacks genuine decorative borders for users. Fortunately, we’ve got an excellent alternative for you-WPS Office. Users have been finding success with this powerful tool, and here are the reasons.
Firstly, WPS Office works well for creating different types of documents. These include PDFs, PPTs, Spreadsheets, and Word documents, among others. You get all of these for free, in addition to several other features.
WPS Office is compatible with Google and Microsoft, with several people using it to create Word documents and other files with ease. The tool also offers a robust collection of templates that can fit right into your project.
What’s more? WPS Office works across multiple devices. This means that you can use it on your PC as well as your mobile phone or tablet. Wherever you might be and whenever you want to work, WPS Office is good to go!
FAQs
1. How do you remove a border in Google Docs?
Step 1: Select the border you want to remove.
Step 2: Utilise the Delete function.
You can do this in two ways.
The first method involves right-clicking the border after selecting it. Then click on ‘Delete’.
On the other hand, you can simply select the border and press the ‘Delete’ key on your keyboard.
Note: The backspace button also works.
2. How to Hide a Border or Table in Google Docs?
Step 1: Select the table.
Step 2: Navigate to the table properties.
Right-click on the table after selecting it. This will also work if your cursor is already inside the table. Click on ‘Table Properties’ at the bottom of the options.
You can proceed in two ways from this point:
Step 3: Modify the table’s border color.
This is the first method involving changing the border color to hide it from view. Change the color from black to white, and the table disappears.
Step 4: Modify the table’s border width.
I prefer this method as it eliminates the risk of the borders showing up on pages or platforms using dark mode.
Simply change the border width to 0, and the table disappears completely.
Summary
That wraps up our guide on how to add a border in Google Docs. You now know various ways to apply this feature and make your document look more professional.
However, remember that Google Docs doesn’t offer ready-made decorative borders yet. But do not worry, we’ve got an alternative for you, which is the WPS Office.
WPS Office offers several beautiful features that make it suitable as a replacement for Microsoft Office, Google Docs, and Sheets. It comes free and has a rich collection of templates for you to choose from.
You can get started by visiting the WPS Official Link.
