The quickest way to add a border

Open your document in Word and go to the Design tab at the top of the screen. Click Page Borders — it's usually on the right side of the ribbon. A dialog box will open with border options. Choose your style (solid line, dashed, dotted, or decorative), pick a color if you want one other than black, set the width, and click OK. The border appears around all four edges of every page.

This method takes about 30 seconds and works the same way whether you're using Word on Windows or Mac. The border prints with your document unless you specifically remove it later.

Key Takeaways

  • The Design tab contains Page Borders, which is the standard way to frame your entire document.
  • You can choose from solid lines, dashed lines, dotted lines, or decorative borders, and set the color and thickness yourself.
  • A page border appears on every page of your document by default, but you can limit it to the first page only if you prefer.
  • If you want a border around just one paragraph or table instead of the whole page, use the Borders button on the Home tab instead.

Choosing a border style and color

When the Page Borders dialog opens, you'll see a list of preset styles on the left side. The top option is usually "None" (no border). Below that are solid lines, then dashed, dotted, and decorative options. Click whichever style appeals to you — the preview on the right updates instantly so you can see what it looks like.

Next, set the color using the dropdown that says Color. The default is black, but you can pick any color Word offers. Below that is the Width dropdown, measured in points. Thicker widths (like 2.25 pt or 3 pt) make the border more prominent; thinner ones (0.5 pt or 0.75 pt) are more subtle. Again, the preview updates as you change each setting.

Once you're happy with how it looks in the preview, click OK and Word applies the border to your document immediately.

Limiting the border to the first page only

By default, Word puts the same border on every page. If you want the border only on page one, open Page Borders again and look for a dropdown labeled Apply to near the bottom of the dialog. Change it from "Whole document" to "First page only," then click OK.

This is useful if you're creating a title page or cover sheet and don't want the border cluttering the rest of your document. You can also choose "This section" if your document is divided into sections — that limits the border to just the current section.

Adding a border to a single paragraph or table

If you don't want a border around the whole page, you can frame just one paragraph or table instead. Click anywhere inside the paragraph or table you want to border. Then go to the Home tab and find the Borders button — it looks like a small square with lines around it. Click the dropdown arrow next to it.

A menu appears with options like "All Borders," "Outside Borders," "Top Border," and "Bottom Border." Choose whichever edges you want. "All Borders" puts a box around the paragraph or table. "Outside Borders" creates just an outline. You can also pick individual sides if you want only a top border, for example.

This method is faster than page borders if you're only framing one element, and it doesn't affect the rest of your document.

Removing or changing a border you've already added

To remove a page border, go back to Design > Page Borders and select "None" at the top of the style list. Click OK and the border disappears.

To change an existing border — say, you want it thicker or a different color — open Page Borders again, adjust the color, width, or style, and click OK. The new settings replace the old ones immediately.

If you added a border to a paragraph or table using the Borders button on the Home tab, click inside that paragraph or table again, click the Borders dropdown, and select "No Border" to remove it.

Why your border might not be printing

Sometimes a border appears on screen but doesn't print. This usually happens because your printer settings are hiding it. Open your print preview by pressing Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) and look at the preview on the left. If the border shows there, your printer will print it — the issue is just how it displays on your monitor.

If the border is missing from the print preview too, check that you actually saved the border. Go back to Design > Page Borders, confirm your settings are still there, and click OK again. Sometimes the border setting doesn't stick if you close the dialog without clicking OK.

Using borders with headers and footers

If your document has a header or footer, the page border sits outside of it — the border frames the entire page, and the header and footer sit inside that frame. This usually looks fine, but if you want the border to sit only around the main text and not include the header and footer area, you'll need to use a paragraph border instead of a page border.

To do this, select all the text in your main document (not the header or footer), go to Home > Borders, and choose "All Borders." This creates a box around just the body text. It's a bit more work than a page border, but it gives you more control over what gets framed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different borders on different pages?

Yes, if your document is divided into sections. Create a new section where you want the border to change, then open Page Borders, set your new border style, and change the Apply to dropdown to "This section." Each section can have its own border or no border at all.

What if I want a border only on the left side of the page?

Open Page Borders and look at the preview area on the right. You'll see four small boxes representing the four edges of the page. Click the boxes for the edges you don't want — they'll turn white — and leave only the left side active. Click OK and Word applies the border to just that side.

Can I use a picture or image as a border instead of a line?

Word doesn't support image borders directly, but you can use decorative line styles that come built in. Open Page Borders and scroll through the style list — some options are ornamental rather than plain lines. If you need a custom image border, you'd have to insert an image and position it manually around your page edges.

Does the border count as part of my page margins?

No. The border sits outside your margin area. If you have 1-inch margins and add a border, your text still starts 1 inch from the edge, and the border appears between the text and the page edge. You can adjust the distance between the border and the text using the Options button in the Page Borders dialog.

Why does my border look different on screen than in print?

Screen resolution and printer resolution are different, so borders sometimes appear thicker or thinner on your monitor than they do on paper. The print preview is more accurate than the on-screen view. If the border looks right in print preview, it will print correctly.