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How to Use Page Borders in Word – Instructions

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How to Use Page Borders in Word: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Applying Page Borders,” shows how to use page borders in Word. This video lesson is from our complete Word tutorial, titled “Mastering Word Made Easy v.2019 and 365.”

How to Use Page Borders in Word: Overview

How to Use Page Borders in Word by Opening the Borders and Shading Dialog Box

            To use page borders in Word, click the “Design” tab in the Ribbon. Then click the “Page Borders” button in the “Page Background” button group. Doing this then opens the “Borders and Shading” dialog box and displays the “Page Border” tab within it.

How to Use Page Borders in Word to Set the Page Border Line Styles

            To set the line style of the border lines, use the “Style,” “Color,” and “Width” drop-downs. Alternatively, to apply a picture border, use the “Art” drop-down and “Width” spinner box. After selecting either of these, a preview of the page border appears in the “Preview” area to the right with the default “Box” preset setting applied. You can see this preset in the “Setting” section. If you chose one of the line style borders, you can also click either the “Shadow” or “3D” preset settings in the “Setting” section to apply that effect to the line borders, too.

How to Use Page Borders in Word to Apply Different Line Styles to Each Side of a Page

            Alternatively, to create a custom line-style page border, which lets you choose different line styles to apply to the different sides of the page, select a line style from the “Style,” “Color,” and “Width” drop-downs. Then click the sides of the page to which to apply or remove that line style in the “Preview” section to the right. You can either directly click the lines in the preview or you can click the buttons that represent the different borders, which appear below and to the left of the preview. Each time you click a line you will either apply or remove the currently selected line style.

            Simply repeat this process of selecting line styles and then clicking the desired borders to create your own custom line style, which also appears in the “Setting” section. Note that you cannot apply an “Art” border in combination with the line styles and you cannot apply a different “Setting,” like “Shadow,” to a custom line-style page border.

How to Use Page Borders in Word - Instructions: A picture of a user customizing the page border settings in Word within the “Page Border” tab of the “Borders and Shading” dialog box.

How to Use Page Borders in Word – Instructions: A picture of a user customizing the page border settings in Word within the “Page Border” tab of the “Borders and Shading” dialog box.

How to Use Page Borders in Word to Apply a Custom Art Border

            Alternatively, to create a custom picture border, use the “Art” drop-down and “Width” spinner box to choose the picture border to apply. Then click the sides of the page to which to apply or remove the picture border in the “Preview” section to the right. You can either directly click the lines in the preview or you can click the buttons that represent the different borders, which appear below and to the left of the preview. Each time you click a line you will either apply or remove the picture line style. Unlike the line-style borders, however, you cannot apply multiple different pictures to a single page border.

How to Use Page Borders in Word to Choose Where to Apply the Page Border

             Next, for all page border styles, use the “Apply to” drop-down to select to which parts of the document to apply the page border. You can apply it to the “Whole document,” “This section” only, to “This section – First page only,” or to “This section – All except first page” by making the desired choice from this drop-down menu.

How to Use Page Borders in Word to Set Border, Shading, Alignment, and Display Options

            If needed, to set border and shading options for the page border, click the “Options…” button to open the “Border and Shading Options” dialog box. Then choose whether to measure the margin distance of the page border from the document text or the edge of the page by selecting the desired choice from the “Measure from” drop-down in the “Margin” section. Then enter the desired measurement from the selected reference point into the “Top,” “Bottom,” “Left” and “Right” spinner boxes in this section.

How to Use Page Borders in Word - Instructions: A picture of a user customizing additional, optional page border settings in Word within the “Border and Shading Options” dialog box.

How to Use Page Borders in Word – Instructions: A picture of a user customizing additional, optional page border settings in Word within the “Border and Shading Options” dialog box.

            Then check any desired page border alignment and display options in the “Options” section you want to apply. Note that if you select to measure the margin from the edge of the page, only the “Always display in front” option is available. After setting any desired border options, if needed, click the “OK” button to apply them and return to the “Page Border” tab within the “Borders and Shading” dialog box.

How to Use Page Borders in Word to Apply a Page Border After Customizing It

            To apply your page border when you are finished, click the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Borders and Shading” dialog box.

How to Use Page Borders in Word: Instructions

Instructions on How to Use Page Borders in Word by Opening the Borders and Shading Dialog Box

  1. To use page borders in Word, click the “Design” tab in the Ribbon.
  2. Then click the “Page Borders” button in the “Page Background” button group to open the “Borders and Shading” dialog box and display the “Page Border” tab within it.

Instructions on How to Use Page Borders in Word to Set the Page Border Line Styles

  1. To set the line style of the border lines, use the “Style,” “Color,” and “Width” drop-downs.
  2. Alternatively, to apply a picture border, use the “Art” drop-down and “Width” spinner box.
  3. After selecting either of these, a preview of the page border appears in the “Preview” area to the right with the default “Box” preset setting applied, which you can see in the “Setting” section.
  4. If you chose one of the line style borders, you can also click either the “Shadow” or “3D” preset settings in the “Setting” section to apply that effect to the line borders, too.

Instructions on How to Use Page Borders in Word to Apply Different Line Styles to Each Side of a Page

  1. Alternatively, to create a custom line-style page border, which lets you choose different line styles to apply to the different sides of the page, select a line style from the “Style,” “Color,” and “Width” drop-downs.
  2. Then click the sides of the page to which to apply or remove that line style in the “Preview” section to the right. You can either directly click the lines in the preview or you can click the buttons that represent the different borders, which appear below and to the left of the preview. Each time you click a line you will either apply or remove the currently selected line style.
  3. Simply repeat this process of selecting line styles and then clicking the desired borders to create your own custom line style, which also appears in the “Setting” section.
  4. Note that you cannot apply an “Art” border in combination with the line styles and you cannot apply a different “Setting,” like “Shadow,” to a custom line-style page border.

Instructions on How to Use Page Borders in Word to Apply a Custom Art Border

  1. Alternatively, to create a custom picture border, use the “Art” drop-down and “Width” spinner box to choose the picture border to apply.
  2. Then click the sides of the page to which to apply or remove the picture border in the “Preview” section to the right. You can either directly click the lines in the preview or you can click the buttons that represent the different borders, which appear below and to the left of the preview. Each time you click a line you will either apply or remove the picture line style.
  3. Unlike the line-style borders, however, you cannot apply multiple different pictures to a single page border.

Instructions on How to Use Page Borders in Word to Choose Where to Apply the Page Border

  1. Next, for all page border styles, use the “Apply to” drop-down to select to which parts of the document to apply the page border. You can apply it to the “Whole document,” “This section” only, to “This section – First page only,” or to “This section – All except first page” by making the desired choice from this drop-down menu.

Instructions on How to Use Page Borders in Word to Set Border, Shading, Alignment, and Display Options

  1. If needed, to set border and shading options for the page border, click the “Options…” button to open the “Border and Shading Options” dialog box.
  2. Then choose whether to measure the margin distance of the page border from the document text or the edge of the page by selecting the desired choice from the “Measure from” drop-down in the “Margin” section.
  3. Then enter the desired measurement from the selected reference point into the “Top,” “Bottom,” “Left” and “Right” spinner boxes in this section.
  4. Then check any desired page border alignment and display options in the “Options” section to apply. Note that if you select to measure the margin from the edge of the page, only the “Always display in front” option is available.
  5. After setting any desired border options, if needed, click the “OK” button to apply them and return to the “Page Border” tab within the “Borders and Shading” dialog box.

Instructions on How to Use Page Borders in Word to Apply a Page Border After Customizing It

  1. To apply your page border when you are finished, click the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Borders and Shading” dialog box.
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