How to Add a Border to Word

An easy-to-follow guide on inserting a border in Word documents

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a border around text, images, or pages in a Microsoft Word document.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Adding a Border to Content

  1. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 1
    1
    Open your Word document. Double-click the Word document to which you want to add borders. This will open the document in Microsoft Word.
    • If you haven't yet created your Word document, open Word, click Blank document, and create the document as needed before proceeding.
  2. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 2
    2
    Click the Home tab. It's at the top of the Word window. Doing so will open the correct toolbar here.
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  3. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 3
    3
    Select content. Click and drag your mouse across the text or image(s) around which you want to place a border.
  4. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 4
    4
    Find the "Borders" button. This button resembles a square divided into four smaller squares; you'll find it in the "Paragraph" section of options in the toolbar, just right of the paint bucket icon.
    • Skip this step on a Mac.
  5. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 5
    5
    Click
    Android 7 Dropdown
    next to the "Borders" button.     This downward-facing arrow is to the right of the "Borders" button. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
    • On a Mac, click the Format menu item at the top of the screen instead.
  6. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 6
    6
    Click Borders and Shading…. It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
    • On a Mac, you'll find this option in the middle of the Format drop-down menu.
  7. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 7
    7
    Select a border setting. In the left-most column, click the border option that you want to use.
    • For example, if you want a simple border to go all the way around your text, you would click Box here.
  8. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 8
    8
    Select a border style. In the "Style" column, scroll down until you find the border style you want to use, then click the style.
    • If needed, you can also change the border's color and width from the "Color" and "Width" drop-down menus, respectively.
  9. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 9
    9
    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will apply your border to the selected text or picture.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Adding a Border to a Page

  1. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 10
    1
    Open your Word document. Double-click the Word document to which you want to add borders. This will open the document in Microsoft Word.
    • If you haven't yet created your Word document, open Word, click Blank document, and create the document as needed before proceeding.
  2. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 11
    2
    Position your cursor to create a new section. If you don't want to add a border to every page in the document, place your mouse cursor at the bottom of the page that comes before the page on which you want to add the border.
    • If you want to apply the border to every page in the document, skip this step and the next one.
  3. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 12
    3
    Create a new section. This will ensure that your border isn't applied to the whole document:
    • Click the Layout tab.
    • Click Breaks in the "Page Setup" section.
    • Click Next Page in the resulting drop-down menu.
  4. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 13
    4
    Click the Design tab. This option is at the top of the Word window.
  5. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 14
    5
    Click Page Borders. It's on the far-right side of the Design toolbar. Doing so opens a pop-up window.
  6. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 15
    6
    Select a border setting. In the left-most column, click the border option that you want to use.
    • For example, if you want a simple border to go all the way around your text, you would click Box here.
  7. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 16
    7
    Select a border style. In the "Style" column, scroll down until you find the border style you want to use, then click the style.
    • If needed, you can also change the border's color and width from the "Color" and "Width" drop-down menus, respectively.
  8. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 17
    8
    Select pages to use. If you created a new section earlier in this method, click the "Apply to" drop-down box, then click the section to which you want to apply the border in the resulting drop-down menu.
    • To apply the border to the first page of your section, for example, you'd click This section - first page only in the drop-down menu.
  9. Image titled Add a Border to Word Step 18
    9
    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the page. This will apply the border to your document's specified page(s).
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How can I place a border around a picture I've inserted into a document?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You do what is shown above, but instead, you click on the picture before you go through the steps.
  • Question
    How do I put a border around a table in Microsoft Word?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Go into Format --> Borders and Shading. There you'll find options for borders you can apply to the table.
  • Question
    What three options can I set regarding a picture border?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The three option you can set are: small, medium and large.
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Warnings

  • Always remember to save your work after making changes to it. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+S (Windows) or ⌘ Command+S (Mac).
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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About This Article

Jack Lloyd
Written by:
Jack Lloyd
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. This article has been viewed 968,971 times.
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Co-authors: 15
Updated: August 12, 2022
Views: 968,971
Categories: Microsoft Word
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