Lines are a basic design element. In Microsoft Word, a horizontal or vertical line tin divide a document and guide the period of the text. Yous can insert a line in Give-and-take and format it in different ways to change a apprehensive line into something more than appealing.

It'southward so simple after all. But if you don't know all the means to do it, then this primer on how to insert a line in Word is for you lot.

The Quick Manner: How to Insert a Line in Give-and-take With the Keyboard

Did you know that you tin can quickly add together a line in Word by typing a few characters? Word'due south AutoFormat characteristic types stuff for you as you type it. You may have already seen it in action when information technology creates automatic bulleted lists.

You can not merely insert a line only too add lines with dissimilar designs. Here'south how it works:

Identify the cursor in the spot where you would like to start your horizontal line.

And so, type three characters for any of the possible line styles you lot see in the screenshot beneath. Printing Enter.

For example, to draw a dotted line, blazon *** and press Enter.

Different types of AutoFormatted Lines in Word

As yous volition see, y'all will become half dozen variations of the standard horizontal line.

  • Plainly single line with iii hyphens (---)
  • Broken or dotted line with three asterisks (***)
  • Plain double line with three equal signs (===)
  • Assuming single line with iii underline symbols (___)
  • Triple line with a thick center with 3 number signs (###)
  • Wavy line with 3 tildes (~~~)

The line takes upwards the entire width of the folio. When added inside a column, the line is inserted to friction match the width of the cavalcade. If y'all want to add text to a higher place or below the line, put your cursor where you desire the text and begin typing.

You will too notice a tiny AutoCorrect Options push pop up adjacent to the line. This is a shortcut that allows you to undo the automatic line when you don't demand it, stop them altogether, or dive into the AutoFormat options dialog.

AutoFormat Button in Microsoft Word

Yous can turn off these lines permanently from the AutoFormat options dialog.

Get to AutoFormat As You Type tab > Apply equally you type section > uncheck Edge lines.

Insert a Horizontal Line From the Ribbon

If you find AutoCorrect annoying and disabled the option, there's another quick manner to add together a horizontal line.

ane. Place your cursor where yous desire to insert the line.

2. Go to the Home tab and then click the dropdown arrow for the Borders option in the Paragraph group.

3. Select Horizontal Line from the card.

Insert horizontal line in Microsoft Word

four. To tweak the look of this horizontal line, double-click the line. The Format Horizontal Line dialog box enables you to modify the width, height, colour, and alignment of the line.

Format Horizontal Line dialog box in Word

5. To resize a line, select the line with a double click then drag any of the resizing points to change the length or width.

6. To remove the line, select it and press Delete on your keyboard.

Employ Borders to Add Horizontal and Vertical Lines

The Borders selection in the Paragraph grouping also gives you another way to insert a elevation or bottom border that resembles a horizontal line in the document.

ane. Click on the paragraph of text where y'all want the line to announced.

2. Got to Abode and the Paragraph group. Click on the Border push. The Lesser border is ordinarily the default. This places a line below the text you have selected on the folio or the paragraph if you oasis't selected any text.

Screenshot of Word's Border and Shading button

three. For other options (like a vertical border), you can click on the tiny dropdown arrow on the Borders button to access a list of options.

Adding a Vertical Border in Word

4. To modify the look of whatever border, click on Borders and Shading. Apply the dialog to adapt the style, color, and width of the border.

five. Deleting this horizontal line in your Word certificate may not be obvious simply information technology piece of cake plenty.

Use Shapes to Insert a Horizontal or Vertical Line in Word

The Shapes carte du jour contains several line options. These line shapes come up with i important departure---yous tin draw them at different angles. So, after you draw the line, yous tin customize the color and appearance to make decorative horizontal or vertical lines even in the middle of a Give-and-take certificate.

1. Position the cursor where yous want to insert a line.

2. Go to Insert > Illustrations group > Shapes dropdown arrow.

3. In the Lines group, choose the shape of the line.

Screenshot of Lines shapes in Word

4. Click and drag across the document with the mouse pressed till the endpoint. (Tip: Concord downwards the Shift fundamental to insert a straight line that is either horizontal or vertical)

5. Proceed the line selected to customize the appearance of the line with the Shape Format tab on the Ribbon.

Shape Effects and Styles for a straight line in Word

6. Go to the Shape Styles tab and change the color, use a unlike line way, or apply effects.

7. You can also right-click on the line and choose Format Shape from the context menu to open more options for irresolute the wait.

How to Add together a Vertical Line and Separate Text into Columns

Text arranged into columns is a basic layout technique. Y'all can separate any block of text into multiple columns and also insert a vertical line between them.

ane. Select the text.

ii. Go to Ribbon > Layout > (Page Setup grouping) Columns. Click on the dropdown and select the number of columns you lot want.

Change layout to columns in Word

3. The text is at present bundled into columns. Click on any cavalcade and become to Layout > Columns > More Columns.

4. In the Columns dialog box, check the Line Between box and click OK.

Adding Vertical lines between columns

Notation that y'all can change the number of columns and the spacing between them from this dialog too.

How to Apply a Bar Tab to Insert a Vertical Line

Tab stops in Discussion aid align lines and paragraphs. The bar tab, on the other paw, doesn't set a tab stop. It inserts a vertical line and demarcates your paragraph into columns.

1. Select the paragraph where you want to add together the vertical line.

ii. Go to Ribbon > Habitation. In the Paragraph grouping click the tiny arrow to open the Paragraph Settings.

Paragraph Settings in Word

3. Click the Tabs button at the lesser of the dialog.

iv. In the Tab stop position box, enter the position where you desire the vertical line to appear. You can use the ruler at the top of the screen to gauge a value to enter.

five. Click the Bar push in the Alignment section. Click on Set up and OK.

As you can run into, I have set information technology to "-0.2" to make information technology appear only to the left of the kickoff paragraph. To delete the vertical line, delete the bar tab.

Using a bar tab for a vertical line in Word

Too: Want to make blank lines where the reader can fill in some information? You lot tin can utilise tabs to speedily create empty lines in forms with Microsoft Word.

Depict a Line in Your Discussion Document

Horizontal lines are more than obvious and mutual. But adding vertical lines at the correct place can heave the visual appeal of your content. Lines aren't mere decorations... they tin can lead your eye to the most important office of a document when used with subtlety.

Think about lines and use these methods the next fourth dimension you sit down down to write a professional person study with Microsoft Word.

How to Create Professional Reports and Documents in Microsoft Give-and-take

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