Lines are a basic pattern chemical element. In Microsoft Word, a horizontal or vertical line tin split a document and guide the catamenia of the text. You tin insert a line in Word and format it in different ways to change a humble line into something more than appealing.

It'due south and so uncomplicated later on all. But if you don't know all the means to practice information technology, then this primer on how to insert a line in Word is for you.

The Quick Way: How to Insert a Line in Discussion With the Keyboard

Did you know that you lot can quickly add together a line in Discussion by typing a few characters? Discussion's AutoFormat characteristic types stuff for y'all every bit y'all type it. You may have already seen it in action when it creates automatic bulleted lists.

You can not only insert a line but also add lines with dissimilar designs. Hither's how it works:

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

Then, type three characters for any of the possible line styles you come across in the screenshot below. Printing Enter.

For case, to draw a dotted line, type *** and press Enter.

Different types of AutoFormatted Lines in Word

Every bit you will run into, you lot volition get six variations of the standard horizontal line.

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

The line takes upwardly the entire width of the page. When added inside a column, the line is inserted to friction match the width of the column. If yous desire to add text higher up or beneath the line, put your cursor where you want the text and begin typing.

You will also notice a tiny AutoCorrect Options button pop up next to the line. This is a shortcut that allows you to disengage the automatic line when you don't need it, stop them altogether, or dive into the AutoFormat options dialog.

AutoFormat Button in Microsoft Word

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

Get to AutoFormat As You Type tab > Apply as you lot type section > uncheck Border lines.

Insert a Horizontal Line From the Ribbon

If you observe AutoCorrect annoying and disabled the option, there'due south another quick way to add a horizontal line.

ane. Place your cursor where you want to insert the line.

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

3. Select Horizontal Line from the menu.

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 and then drag any of the resizing points to modify the length or width.

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

Use Borders to Add Horizontal and Vertical Lines

The Borders option in the Paragraph grouping too gives you some other way to insert a elevation or bottom border that resembles a horizontal line in the certificate.

1. Click on the paragraph of text where yous desire the line to appear.

ii. Got to Home and the Paragraph group. Click on the Border button. The Bottom edge is usually the default. This places a line below the text you accept selected on the page or the paragraph if you haven't selected whatever text.

Screenshot of Word's Border and Shading button

3. For other options (like a vertical border), you tin click on the tiny dropdown arrow on the Borders push button to admission a list of options.

Adding a Vertical Border in Word

four. To change the look of any border, click on Borders and Shading. Use the dialog to accommodate the way, color, and width of the border.

five. Deleting this horizontal line in your Word certificate may not be obvious but information technology easy enough.

Utilise Shapes to Insert a Horizontal or Vertical Line in Discussion

The Shapes bill of fare contains several line options. These line shapes come up with one important difference---yous tin can depict them at different angles. And so, subsequently you draw the line, yous tin can customize the color and appearance to make decorative horizontal or vertical lines even in the center of a Give-and-take certificate.

1. Position the cursor where you desire to insert a line.

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

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

Screenshot of Lines shapes in Word

four. Click and drag across the document with the mouse pressed till the endpoint. (Tip: Hold downward the Shift key to insert a direct line that is either horizontal or vertical)

5. Continue the line selected to customize the advent 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, utilize a different line fashion, or employ effects.

7. You lot can too right-click on the line and choose Format Shape from the context menu to open more options for changing the await.

How to Add a Vertical Line and Separate Text into Columns

Text arranged into columns is a bones layout technique. You can separate any block of text into multiple columns and also insert a vertical line between them.

1. Select the text.

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

Change layout to columns in Word

iii. The text is at present arranged into columns. Click on whatsoever cavalcade and go to Layout > Columns > More Columns.

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

Adding Vertical lines between columns

Notation that you can change the number of columns and the spacing between them from this dialog besides.

How to Use a Bar Tab to Insert a Vertical Line

Tab stops in Word assistance marshal lines and paragraphs. The bar tab, on the other hand, doesn't gear up a tab terminate. Information technology inserts a vertical line and demarcates your paragraph into columns.

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

2. Go to Ribbon > Home. In the Paragraph group click the tiny arrow to open the Paragraph Settings.

Paragraph Settings in Word

3. Click the Tabs push at the bottom of the dialog.

4. In the Tab finish position box, enter the position where yous want the vertical line to appear. You can use the ruler at the summit of the screen to gauge a value to enter.

5. Click the Bar button in the Alignment section. Click on Gear up and OK.

As y'all can see, I have gear up information technology to "-0.2" to make it announced just to the left of the first paragraph. To delete the vertical line, delete the bar tab.

Using a bar tab for a vertical line in Word

Also: Desire to make blank lines where the reader can fill in some information? Y'all can use tabs to quickly create empty lines in forms with Microsoft Give-and-take.

Depict a Line in Your Give-and-take Certificate

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

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

How to Create Professional person Reports and Documents in Microsoft Word

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