Microsoft Word gives you hundreds of page border options, allowing you to surround a page with a clean or fancy border, like a frame for a picture. You can also set a border to provide a shadow or 3D effect.
Add a border
Open Microsoft Word.
Click the Page Layout tab. In Word 2013 and 2016, click the Design tab instead.
In the Page Background group, click the Page Borders option.
In the Borders and Shading window (shown below), if not already selected, click the Page Border tab.
Select Box if you want a square border around your page.
Select the Style of border you want on the page, which can be solid, dotted, or dashed. Select the Color and Width of the border. If you want to select artwork to use as the border, click the down arrow for the Art drop-down menu. In the example below, we’re using the hearts art as a border.
Add a border.
Modify a border.
Remove a border.
Related information.
Once you’ve selected all the border options you want to use in your document, click the OK button to apply the border.
Modify a border
- Open Microsoft Word.
- Click the Page Layout tab. In Word 2013 and 2016, click the Design tab instead.
- In the Page Background group, click the Page Borders option.
- In the Borders and Shading window (shown below), if not already selected, click the Page Border tab.
- Make the desired changes to the border that is currently set for the document or page. You can change the type of border in the Settings section, choosing from Box, Shadow, 3-D, or Custom. You can also change the style, color, and width of the order, and add or change art used in the border.
By default, the borders are applied to the whole document, which means every page has the same border. Clicking the down arrow on Apply to gives you the option to select the first page only, selected page, all pages but the first page, and other options.
- When you have finished making the desired changes to the border, click the OK button to apply the changes.
Remove a border
Open Microsoft Word.
Click the Page Layout tab. In Word 2013 and 2016, click the Design tab instead.
In the Page Background group, click the Page Borders option.
In the Borders and Shading window (shown below), if not already selected, click the Page Border tab.
Select None to remove any border on the page.
Click the OK button to remove the border.
Related information
- How to create a border around text in Word.
- See our border definition for further information and related links.
- Microsoft Word help and support.
