Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Changing Paragraph Borders.

Changing Paragraph Borders

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 24, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

In other WordTips you learn how to add borders to your paragraphs using the presets built into Word. This results in a paragraph contained in a box in which all four sides matched each other. Word allows you to mix and match line types for your border, however. For example you could have a paragraph that has different types of borders on all four sides. To change borders on your paragraph, follow these steps:

Position the insertion point in the paragraph to which you want the border added.
Select the Borders and Shading option from the Format menu. You will see the Borders and Shading dialog box.
Make sure the Borders tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Borders tab of the Borders and Shading dialog box.

In the Preview area of the dialog box (the part that shows what your borders look like) click on the side of the paragraph to which you want to add a border. Whatever line style that was selected should be applied to that border.
Select a line type from the Style list.
Use the Color and Width controls, if desired, to specify the color and weight of the border.
In the Preview area of the dialog box (the part that shows what your borders look like) click on the side of the paragraph to which you want to add a border. (This could be the same side you selected in step 4.) The side should now show the border just as you want it.
Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each of the other paragraph sides.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1110) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Changing Paragraph Borders.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Sequentially Numbered Labels

A common task in Word is to create labels. This tip presents two approaches you can use when you need to create labels ...

Discover More

Labeling X-Y Scatter Plots

Figuring out how to get the data points in an X-Y scatter plot labeled can be confusing; Excel certainly doesn't make it ...

Discover More

Printing to a PDF File in Windows 10

Want to easily create a PDF file from your favorite program? Windows 10 makes it easy with a built-in PDF printer driver. ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Highlighting Information Using Shading

Need to draw attention to some text in your document? You can do it by applying some fast and easy shading to your text.

Discover More

Borders on Multiple Paragraphs with Differing Indents

When you place a border around a paragraph, the position of that border is determined, partially, by the indent with ...

Discover More

Using Text As a Page Border

Word allows you to add page borders to a document, but you might find the options in this area too limiting. What if you ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 6 + 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.