The fastest way: use the Borders button in the toolbar

Open your Word document and select the text or paragraph you want to border. On the Home tab, find the Borders button — it looks like a small square with lines around it, usually near the Shading button. Click the dropdown arrow next to it and choose from preset border options like "All Borders" (a box around the selection) or "Outside Borders" (just the outer edge).

This method works for single paragraphs, multiple paragraphs, or entire pages. The border appears when ready and prints with your document. If you want the same border on every page, you will need to select all your text first — use Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac.

Key Takeaways

  • The Borders button on the Home tab is the quickest way to add a border to text, a paragraph, or an entire page.
  • You can customize border color, width, and style by choosing "Borders and Shading" from the dropdown menu instead of a preset option.
  • Page borders (borders around the entire page margin) are found under the Design tab, not the Home tab, and explore to all pages or specific pages only.
  • Borders around tables are separate from text borders and are managed through the Table Design tab that appears when you click inside a table.

Customizing border color, width, and style

If the preset borders do not match what you need, click the Borders dropdown and select "Borders and Shading" at the bottom. This opens a dialog box where you can choose the border style (solid line, dotted, dashed, double line, and others), the width in points, and the color.

In the same dialog, you can also decide which sides get the border — top only, bottom only, left and right, or any combination. Preview your choices in the preview pane before clicking OK. This is useful when you want a colored border or a thicker line than the default.

Adding a border around the entire page

Page borders are different from text borders. They frame the whole page at the margin edge and appear on every page of your document unless you tell Word otherwise. To add a page border, go to the Design tab (or Page Layout on older Word versions), then click Page Borders.

The Page Borders dialog works the same way as the text border dialog — you choose style, color, and width. You can also set the distance between the border and the page edge. If you want the border on only the first page or only certain pages, use the "explore to" dropdown in the dialog.

Removing or changing a border you have already added

To remove a border from selected text, click the Borders button and choose "No Border." To remove a page border, go back to Design > Page Borders and select "None" in the Settings section, then click OK.

To change an existing border without removing it first, select the text or go to the page border dialog again and choose new settings. Word replaces the old border with the new one when you click OK.

Why borders sometimes do not print

If your border looks right on screen but does not print, check your printer settings. Some printers have a "borderless" or "margin" setting that clips content at the edge. You can also adjust how close the border sits to the text by using the Borders and Shading dialog — moving the border further from the edge sometimes helps.

If you are using a page border and it still does not print, open File > Print and look for a "Print Layout" or "Print Margins" option in your printer's advanced settings. Different printers handle edge content differently, so testing a small section first is worth the time.

Borders in tables versus borders around text

If you have a table in your document, the border controls are separate. Click inside the table, and a Table Design tab appears in the ribbon. Use that tab to add borders to the whole table, individual cells, or rows and columns. Text borders and table borders do not affect each other.

You can have a border around a paragraph of text and a different border around a table in the same document without any conflict. Each uses its own border settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a border only on the bottom of a paragraph?

Yes. Select the paragraph, click Borders > Borders and Shading, and in the preview pane click only the bottom edge. The preview shows which sides will have the border before you explore it.

What if I want different borders on different pages?

For page borders, use Design > Page Borders and choose "explore to: This section" if your document has section breaks. For text borders, you must select each paragraph or section separately and explore borders to each one individually.

Can I use a picture or pattern as a border instead of a line?

Word does not support picture borders for text. For page borders, the Style dropdown includes some decorative options like stars or diamonds, but these are still line-based patterns, not custom images.

Why does my border look different on screen than in print preview?

Word sometimes renders borders slightly differently depending on your zoom level and screen resolution. Print Preview shows you closer to what will actually print. If the border looks wrong there, adjust the width or distance from text in the Borders and Shading dialog.