Putting a box around text in Microsoft Word is a simple task that can help you highlight important information or make your document look more organized. By following a few quick steps, you can easily achieve this effect and enhance the visual appeal of your document.
Step by Step Tutorial: How to Put a Box Around Text in Word
Before we dive into the steps, let’s talk about what we’re going to do. Adding a box around text in Word involves using the ‘Borders’ feature to create a border around the selected text. This can be customized to your liking with different styles, colors, and widths.
Step 1: Select the Text
Click and drag your cursor over the text you want to put a box around.
Selecting the text is the first step because Word applies borders to whatever text is highlighted. Make sure you’ve got everything you want inside the box selected.
Step 2: Navigate to the Borders Menu
Go to the ‘Home’ tab on the ribbon and click on the ‘Borders’ icon (which looks like a square) in the ‘Paragraph’ group.
The ‘Borders’ menu is where all the magic happens. Here you can choose from various border options, such as adding a border to just the top of the text, the bottom, or all around it.
Step 3: Choose the ‘Borders and Shading’ Option
From the dropdown menu that appears, select ‘Borders and Shading’ at the bottom of the list.
This will open a new dialog box where you can get more specific with your border design.
Step 4: Select ‘Box’ in the ‘Settings’ Section
In the ‘Borders and Shading’ dialog box, under the ‘Settings’ section on the left, choose the ‘Box’ option.
The ‘Box’ setting will apply a border around the entirety of the selected text.
Step 5: Customize the Border Style
Pick your desired border style, color, and width from the options in the middle of the dialog box.
Feel free to get creative here! Word offers a wide range of line styles and colors to choose from, so you can make your box look exactly how you want it.
Step 6: Apply the Border
Once satisfied with your selections, click ‘OK’ to apply the box around your text.
And voila! Your text is now neatly enclosed within a box.
After completing these steps, you’ll see a box around the text you selected. This can help set apart quotes, create text boxes for forms, or just add a touch of style to your document.
Tips for Putting a Box Around Text in Word
- Tip 1: If you want your text box to stand out, consider adding a background color to the text box through the ‘Shading’ tab in the ‘Borders and Shading’ dialog box.
- Tip 2: To remove the box, simply select the text again, go to the ‘Borders’ menu, and choose ‘No Border’.
- Tip 3: You can apply a box to multiple areas of your document by holding down the ‘Ctrl’ key while selecting different sections of text.
- Tip 4: Experiment with different border styles and thicknesses to see what looks best for your document’s design.
- Tip 5: Remember that adding too many boxes or overly decorative borders can make your document look cluttered, so use this feature sparingly for maximum impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a box around a single word?
Yes, you can put a box around a single word by simply selecting that word and following the same steps.
How do I change the color of the border?
In the ‘Borders and Shading’ dialog box, click on the ‘Color’ dropdown menu and choose your preferred color.
Can I make a rounded corner box in Word?
While Word doesn’t have a preset option for rounded corners, you can insert a text box from the ‘Insert’ tab and adjust its border to have rounded corners.
How do I apply a border to an entire page?
Instead of selecting text, go to the ‘Design’ tab, click on ‘Page Borders’ in the ‘Page Background’ group, and choose your border settings from there.
Is it possible to save my customized border to use it again later?
Word doesn’t offer the option to save customized borders, but you can copy and paste the text with the border into a new document to reuse it.
Summary
- Select the text.
- Navigate to the Borders Menu.
- Choose the ‘Borders and Shading’ Option.
- Select ‘Box’ in the ‘Settings’ Section.
- Customize the Border Style.
- Apply the Border.
Conclusion
Adding a box around text in Word is a breeze once you know where to look and what to click. It’s an excellent way to make certain parts of your document pop or to organize information clearly and effectively. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who likes to keep their recipes neatly formatted, knowing how to put a box around text in Word is a handy skill to have up your sleeve. So go ahead—give it a try! You might just find that a simple box can transform an ordinary document into something a little more extraordinary.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.