Essential to formatting many documents, columns help break up the layout of a page full of text. You can set columns just about any way you like with the ability to specify the number, size, and borders. The following articles explain how to do that and more with columns in a Word document.

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Columns' topic. Click the article''s title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

   Adding Columns to Your Page Layout
Most documents are created using a single column of text. Word, however, allows you to use many, many columns in your document layout. Here's how to specify how many columns should be used.

   Adding Vertical Lines Between Columns
Columns can be an integral part of your document layout. In some instances you may want Word to insert a vertical line between your columns. Here's how to instruct Word to insert the line.

   Adjusting Column Width from the Keyboard
It's easy to adjust the width of table columns using the mouse, but what if you don't want to use the mouse? Adjusting column width using the keyboard is more difficult, but it can be done with the help of some macros.

   Changing Column Width
Do you use columns in your document layout? You may want to modify the widths of various columns, and Word makes the change easy. Here's how.

   Changing the Number of Columns
If you need to change the number of columns used in a portion of your document, it's easy to do when you use the Columns dialog box. This tip examines the steps you need to follow to get just the number of columns you want.

   Changing the Number of Columns in the Middle of a Document
Need to have multiple columns in a page layout that normally consists of a single column? You can change the column layout by applying the techniques in this tip.

   Determining a Column Width
When laying out your document, you may wonder what width you should use for your text. An old typographers trick may help to provide the answer.

   Indenting a Paragraph
Normally your text extends from the left margin all the way to the right. If you need to indent a paragraph of your text, then you can use any of the methods described in this tip.

   Jumping between Columns
Need to jump from one column to another on a page? You can use the handy shortcut keys described in this tip.

   Mixing Column Formats On a Page
Want to switch the number of columns used for your text, in the middle of a page? You can do this very easily by following the steps in this tip.

   Quickly Changing Columns
One of the tools on the Formatting toolbar is the Columns tool. You can use this tool to make quick changes to the number of columns in a document or in a portion of a document.

   Self-Adjusting Column Widths
It is important to understand how column widths relate to the margins you may have set in your document. The reason is because when you change margin settings it can affect column width, but perhaps not as you expect.

   Setting Up Multi-page Columns
Do you need a page layout that features columns that progress vertically across pages instead of horizontally across a page? If so, then columns may not be the best approach to use. Try a table, instead!

   Using a Single-Column Heading in a Multi-Column Layout
Want different numbers of columns all on the same page? Word makes it easy to use, for instance, a heading that uses a single column even though the majority of the page is more than one column. Here's how to accomplish the design.

   Vertical Lines in Word
Lines can help to organize the data on a page or make certain points clearer. Word provides several different ways you can add vertical lines to your page layout.