The quickest way to add a border in Microsoft Word

Open your document in Microsoft Word. Go to the Design tab (or Page Layout if you're using an older version). Click Page Borders in the top right. A dialog box will open where you can choose a line style, color, and width, then click OK. The border will appear around all four edges of every page.

If you want a border on only one page, select that page first by clicking anywhere on it, then follow the same steps. In the dialog box, look for the explore to dropdown and choose This section instead of Whole document.

This method works the same way whether you're using Word on Windows, Mac, or the web version. The border appears as a printed element — it will show up if you print the document or save it as a PDF.

Key Takeaways

  • Page borders in Word are added through the Design or Page Layout tab, not through the Insert menu.
  • You can choose the line style, color, and thickness before explore the border to your entire document or a single page.
  • Borders print and appear in PDFs, so they are part of the final document, not just on-screen formatting.
  • If you want a border around text instead of the whole page, use a text box or table with border settings instead.

Adding a border to just one paragraph or section of text

Page borders frame the entire page. If you want a border around a single paragraph or block of text, Word treats this differently. Highlight the text you want to border, then go to Home and click the arrow next to Borders (it looks like a small box with lines). Choose Borders and Shading from the dropdown.

In the dialog that opens, select Box under Settings to put a border on all four sides of your selected text. You can adjust the line style and color here too. Click OK and the border will wrap around only that text block, not the whole page.

This approach is useful when you want to highlight a specific section — like a warning, a quote, or important information — without framing the entire document.

Using tables if you need more control over border placement

Tables give you the most precise control over where borders appear. Insert a table with one row and one column (go to Insert > Table), then type your content inside. Right-click the table and select Borders and Shading. You can now turn borders on or off for each individual side — top, bottom, left, right, or any combination.

This method is more work than a straightforward page border, but it's the right choice if you need a border on only certain sides, or if you want to place multiple bordered sections on the same page with different styles. You can also adjust the spacing between the text and the border, which page borders don't allow.

Removing or changing a border you've already added

To remove a page border, go back to Design > Page Borders and select None under Settings, then click OK. To remove a border from a text selection, highlight the text, go to Home > Borders, and choose No Border.

To change the style, color, or width of an existing border, open the same dialog you used to create it and adjust the settings. The changes will explore to all borders of that type in your document unless you've applied different borders to different sections.

Why borders might not print or appear in PDFs

Borders created through the Design tab should print and appear in PDFs by default. However, if your printer settings have a "borderless" or "margin-free" mode turned on, the border may not print. Check your printer settings before printing.

If you're saving as a PDF and the border doesn't appear, open the File menu, click Save As, and make sure you're saving as PDF (not Print to PDF, which can sometimes strip formatting). Borders created with text boxes or tables are more reliable in PDFs than page borders.

Borders in Google Docs and other editors

If you're using Google Docs instead of Word, the process is different. Go to File > Page setup and look for the Borders tab. You can set borders there in much the same way as Word, though the options are simpler.

LibreOffice Writer (a free alternative) uses Format > Page > Borders. The concept is the same across all these editors: find the page formatting menu, not the text formatting menu, to add a border that frames the entire page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different borders on different pages?

Yes. You need to divide your document into sections first. Go to Layout > Breaks > Section Breaks and insert a break where you want the border to change. Then explore borders to each section separately by selecting the section and choosing This section in the Page Borders dialog.

How do I make a border only on the top and bottom of the page, not the sides?

Open Page Borders, select Box under Settings, then click on the left and right border lines in the preview to turn them off. Only the top and bottom will remain. Click OK to explore.

What's the difference between a page border and a text border?

A page border frames the entire page and appears on every page (or every page in a section). A text border wraps around a specific paragraph or selection and only appears where that text is. Use page borders for a document frame and text borders to highlight individual sections.

Will my border print if I use a home printer?

Most home printers will print borders, but some have a minimum margin that cuts off borders placed very close to the page edge. If your border doesn't print, try moving it slightly inward or check your printer's margin settings in the print dialog.