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How to Make a Page Border in Microsoft Word? (Step-By-Step Guide)

March 20, 2024 1.5K views

As an individual who uses Microsoft Word to create various documents, enhancing your documents' visual appeal is vital. One of the ways of doing this is by using page borders but the question many individuals have is how do I make a page border in Word? In this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know on how to create and also customize page borders in Microsoft Word.

Part 1: How to Make a Page Border in Word?

In Microsoft Word, a border is a collection of lines, shapes, pictures, text boxes, edges, and colored graphics inserted in Word to enhance the look and feel of a document. A page border is a type of border that you can add to a page to change its style and thickness.

When making a border in Word, you can add different types of borders to your document, including Colored borders, Text borders, Image borders, paragraph borders, Custom borders, etc.

If you’re faced with the question how do I make a page border in Word? but don't know how to go about it, follow the guidelines below:

On Windows:

Step 1: Open a new Word document or the Word document to which you want to add a border.

Opening a new Word document

Opening a new Word document

Step 2: On the Menu bar, click on "Design". This would bring out various document formatting options including page border, color, fonts, etc.

Clicking the design tab

Clicking the design tab

Step 3: Click "Page Borders". You can find this on the right side of the Design section, next to Page Color. It will have an icon on a page with a yellow border. After clicking this, a new window will open.

Navigating the Page border window

Navigating the Page border window

Step 4: Choose a Border Setting. In the left-hand column, click on the border you want to apply. You can choose from: No Border. Box Border, Shadow Border, 3-D Border, or Custom Border.

For a simple border that wraps around the entire page, you can choose Box. For a fun border with images, click on the “Art” drop-down in the menu and choose from Word’s art gallery.

Choosing a border setting

Choosing a border setting

Step 5: Choose a border style in the “Style” column. Scroll down until you see the border style that you want, then click on it. You can choose between the solid and dotted border styles. You can also select the color and width of the border from the “Color” and “Width” menus.

Choosing a border style

Choosing a border style

Step 6: Choose the pages to apply to. If your document has multiple pages, click the “Apply to” drop-down box and select the section to which you want the border to apply. To apply your border to your section’s first page, click on This section – the first page-only drop-down menu.

Choosing the pages to apply page borders to

Choosing the pages to apply page borders to

Afterward, Click "OK" at the bottom of the page. This will apply the border to your document's specified page(s).

On Mac:

For Mac users wondering how to make a page border in Word on macOS, follow the guidelines below.

Step 1: Open a project in Microsoft Word. Then select the “Design” option. This option will appear in the top navigation bar, between the Draw and Layout options.

Opening the design tab

Opening the design tab

Step 2: Next, click “Page Borders”. This is located on the left of the Design section under Page Color. You will see an icon with a yellow border on the page.

Opening the page border window

Opening the page border window

Step 3: Choose a border setting.

In the left-hand column, click on the border you want to use: No border, Box border, Shadow border, 3-D border, or Custom border.

To add a simple border that wraps around your page, click on Box. If you want a fun border with images, click on the drop-down menu “Art” and select from Word’s art gallery. This border can be used to create themed flyers for holidays or events.

Choosing a border setting

Choosing a border setting

Step 4: Choose a border style in the “Style” column. Scroll down until you find your desired border style, then click on it. You can choose between solid and dotted border styles. You can also change the color and width of the border from the “Color” and “Width” menus.

Choosing a border style

Choosing a border style

Step 5: Choose the pages to apply to. If you have created a new page earlier in this step, click on the “Apply to” drop-down, then select the section to apply your border to in the next drop-down. To apply your border to your section’s first page, click on “This section-first page only” in the drop-down menu.

Afterward, click OK and this will apply the border to your specified page(s).

Part 2: How to Customize a Page Border in Word?

After answering the question how do I make a page border in Word? customizing your page border can help you improve the appearance of the border and the overall aesthetic appeal of the document. Customizing the border involves the use of the various options provided in the Page border menu till your document looks to your taste. You can follow the steps below to customize your page border in Word.

Step 1: To begin, select a style under Setting on the left side of the Page border window. This allows you to choose a style such as a shadow a 3-D effect, or a box style. On the right, select the line Style you want to use and the color below it.

Choosing pages to apply a border to

Choosing pages to apply a border to

Step 2: If you’re looking for something unique and fun, click the Art option at the bottom of the page for various creative borders.

You’ll see a wide range of color options, including hearts, stars, and ice cream cones, as well as flowers, holiday pictures, and more.

Choosing Art themed page borders

Choosing Art themed page borders

Step 3: Whether you’re using a line-style border or an artistic border, you’ll be able to adjust the Width of your border. The preview will appear on your right-side update for easy viewing.

Adjusting the width of the page border

Adjusting the width of the page border

Step 4: In the Preview, you can also use the little boxes to add or remove a border from a specific page of your document. After that, click Apply if you just want to apply the border to a specific part of your document or the entire document.

Selecting pages to which page border will be applied

Selecting pages to which page border will be applied

Step 5: When using a page border, click the Options button. Here, you can enter the font points that you want to use for the upper, lower, left, or right margins. Below that, click Measure from. You can use these numbers from the edge of your page or the text of your document.

Changing a few additional settings of the page border

You can make changes to a few additional settings in this window if you like. Below Options, check or uncheck the boxes for always displaying in front, aligning the paragraph borders with the page border, and surrounding headers or footers.

Step 6: Once you’ve changed the options, click OK. Then, in the Borders & Shading window, click OK to apply your new page border.

After applying the page border

After applying the page border

Part 3: Why Add a Page Border in Word?

Adding a Page border in Microsoft Word can offer many benefits to your document or paper. Some of these include:

1. Visual appeal

Page borders can add a touch of uniqueness to your document and make it look more attractive. Word provides a wide range of page borders to suit your individual needs.

2. Organization

Another benefit of using a border is that it can help your document look more organized. For example, it can help to separate important pages from the rest. It can also help to bring your information together and make it easier to read.

3. Readability

Borders can also positively affect your document's readability. For example, using borders for important sections or pages can draw readers' attention to the content on the page.

Part 4: How to Make a Page Border in WPS Office?

WPS Writer is an easy-to-use free Word editor for creating, editing, saving, and sharing documents. It works seamlessly with Microsoft Office and provides a seamless Word document processing experience on PC and Mac, as well as Android and iOS, and is cross-platform compatible.

You can follow the guidelines below if you’re wondering how to make a page border in Word using WPS Office.

Step 1: Open a new document or the document you want to add a page border to in WPS Writer.

Opening new documents in the WPS Office

Opening new documents in the WPS Office

Step 2: On the menu bar, click on “page layout”. Then click on “Page borders”.

Opening the page border window

Opening the page border window

Step 3: Customize the page border. You can select from the various page border types(Box or Custom), select a preferred color, adjust the width, and many more. You can also select from the wide variety of art images in the WPS gallery for your border.

Customizing page border

Customizing page border

Afterward, click “OK” and the page border will be added to your Word document.

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FAQS:

1. How to Remove a Page Border in Word?

Follow the step-by-step guidelines below to remove a page border in Word.

Step 1: Go back to the Design tab and click Page Borders.

Page border window

Page border window

Step 2: On the Page Border tab, click None under Settings on the left.

Removing page border in Word

Removing page border in Word

Afterward, click OK, and your order should be removed.

2. What are the options for page borders?

Click "Page Border" in the "Borders and Shading" section. Select "Box" if you want to insert a square border all around your page. Choose the page border style you want. Options include dotted, dashed, and solid.

3. Which tab is used to insert page border in Word?

The design tab is used to add a page border in Word. Head to the Design tab and click the Page Borders button. When the Borders and Shading window opens, you can then get right to the customization options for your border.

Summary

From simple solid lines to complex custom designs, page borders allow you to personalize documents for any event or audience. From professional presentations to personalizing your projects, creating page borders gives you the freedom to be creative and improve the look of your work.

If you’re seeking a more user-friendly and cost-effective alternative to Microsoft Word, you should check out WPS Office. It offers a free-to-use Writer for editing, saving, and sharing Word documents.


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