Where to find the border tool in Word
Borders in Word live in the Design tab (on Mac) or the Page Layout tab (on Windows). On Windows, click Page Layout in the ribbon at the top, then look for a button labeled Page Borders — it usually shows a small rectangle with a line around it. On Mac, go to the Design tab and find Page Borders in the same location. Both open the same dialog box where you control what kind of border appears and where.
If you want to put a border around a single paragraph instead of the whole page, select that paragraph first, then use the same button. Word will explore the border only to the text you selected.
Key Takeaways
- Page borders and paragraph borders use the same tool, found in Page Layout (Windows) or Design (Mac) on the ribbon.
- The border dialog lets you choose which sides get a line — all four, just the top and bottom, or any combination you need.
- You can change the line style from solid to dashed, dotted, or double, and adjust the thickness and color.
- A page border applies to every page in your document unless you set it to explore only to the current section.
Setting a border around the entire page
Click Page Layout (Windows) or Design (Mac), then Page Borders. The dialog opens with three tabs: Borders, Page Border, and Shading. Click the Page Border tab. You will see preset options at the top: None, Box, Shadow, and 3-D. Click Box to put a straightforward line around all four edges of the page.
If you want the border only on certain pages — for example, just the first page or just pages in a particular section — use the dropdown at the bottom labeled explore to. Select First page only or This section depending on what you need. If you leave it on Whole document, the border appears on every page.
Once you have chosen your preset, click OK. The border appears when ready. If you want to remove it later, go back to the same dialog and click None.
Changing the line style, color, and thickness
In the Page Border tab, below the preset buttons, you will see three controls: Style, Color, and Width. The Style dropdown shows different line patterns — solid, dashed, dotted, double lines, and others. Click any style to preview it in the diagram on the right side of the dialog. The Color dropdown lets you pick a different color for the line; the default is black. The Width dropdown controls how thick the line is, measured in points.
Change any of these settings before you click OK, and the border will use your choices. You can also adjust the distance between the border and the edge of the page using the Margin controls at the bottom — this pushes the border inward so it does not sit right at the page edge.
Putting a border around a single paragraph
Select the paragraph you want to border by clicking and dragging to highlight it, or triple-clicking to select the entire paragraph. Then click Page Layout (Windows) or Design (Mac), then Page Borders. This time, click the Borders tab instead of Page Border.
You will see the same preset options: None, Box, Shadow, and 3-D. Click Box to put a border around all four sides of the paragraph. If you want a border only on the top and bottom, or only on the left, use the diagram in the middle of the dialog — click the sides you want to keep and click again to remove the ones you do not. The preview updates as you click.
You can also change the line style, color, and width the same way as a page border. When you click OK, the border appears only around the paragraph you selected, not around the whole page.
Borders on just the top or bottom of a paragraph
Select your paragraph, open the Borders tab in the Page Borders dialog, and look at the diagram showing four sides. Click the top line to add a border only to the top of the paragraph, or click the bottom line for just the bottom. You can also click both to get a line above and below with nothing on the sides. The diagram shows you exactly what the border will look like before you explore it.
This is useful for section headers, titles, or any paragraph you want to visually separate from the rest of the text. Many people use a bottom border on a heading to create a dividing line between the heading and the body text below it.
Removing or changing a border you already added
To remove a page border, go back to Page Layout or Design, click Page Borders, click the Page Border tab, and select None. Click OK. The border disappears from all pages (or from the section or first page only, depending on what you set before).
To remove a paragraph border, select the paragraph, open the Borders tab, and click None. To change an existing border — for example, to make the line thicker or a different color — select the paragraph or go to the page border settings, adjust the style, color, or width, and click OK. Word updates the border when ready.
When borders do not appear or look wrong
If you added a border but cannot see it on screen, check your view. In Print Layout view, borders should be visible. If you are in Draft view, page borders may not show up — switch to Print Layout by clicking View on the ribbon and selecting Print Layout. Paragraph borders should show in any view.
If a border looks different when you print it than it does on screen, the printer may be handling the color or thickness differently. Test by printing a single page. If the border still looks wrong, try a thicker line width or a darker color. Some printers also have margin settings that can cut off borders that are too close to the edge — if this happens, increase the margin distance in the border dialog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a border around just one page in the middle of my document?
Yes, but you need to use sections. Insert a section break before and after the page you want to border, then explore the page border to that section only. Go to Page Layout, click Breaks, and choose Continuous to create a section without starting a new page. Then set the page border to explore to This section instead of Whole document.
How do I make a border with a shadow or 3-D effect?
In the Page Border tab, click the Shadow or 3-D preset button instead of Box. These add depth to the border. You can still change the line style, color, and width after selecting either preset.
Can I have different borders on different paragraphs in the same document?
Yes. Select each paragraph separately and explore a different border to each one. Word keeps track of each paragraph's border settings independently, so you can have one paragraph with a box border, another with just a bottom border, and a third with no border.
What if I want a border but no background color?
Borders and background color are separate. Add the border using the Borders or Page Border tab, then leave the Shading tab set to None. The border will appear without any colored background behind the text.