How to Add or Remove Borders in Word Documents

To add a border to a Word document, go to the Design tab and select Page Borders. Pick a setting such as Box, choose the line style, color and width, and select OK. To remove a page border, open the same window and choose None. Text, tables and pictures have their own border controls, covered below.

This guide covers the Word desktop app for Windows and Mac (Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016), with a note on Word for the web. It shows how to add, customize and remove page borders, put a border on one page only, add or remove borders around text, tables, pictures and shapes, and fix a border that won’t go away. Menu names come from Microsoft’s support pages, checked in October 2026.

Which Kind of Border Do You Mean?

Word uses the word “border” for four different things, and each has its own setting. Knowing which one you’re dealing with saves a lot of clicking:

• Page border: a frame around the whole page. Set in Design > Page Borders.
• Text or paragraph border: a line or box around a word, line or paragraph. Set from the Borders button on the Home tab.
• Table border: the lines around and between table cells. Set on the Table Design tab.
• Picture, shape or text box border: the outline of an object. Set with Picture Border or Shape Outline on the object’s Format tab.

How to Add a Page Border in Word

These steps follow Microsoft’s Add a border to a page guide and work in Word for Windows and Mac.

1. Open your document in Word. Result: the document is ready to edit.
2. Go to the Design tab and select Page Borders. Result: the Borders and Shading box opens on the Page Border tab.
3. Under Setting, choose a border type, such as Box or Shadow. Result: the Preview shows a border.
4. Choose a Style, Color and Width. For a decorative border, pick a graphic from the Art list instead. Result: the Preview updates.
5. Select OK. Result: the border appears around every page in the section.

To change how close the border sits to the edge of the page, select Options in the same window, adjust the margins, and select OK. To leave one side open, click that line in the Preview diagram to turn it off.

In Word 2007 and Word 2010, Page Borders is on the Page Layout tab in the Page Background group rather than the Design tab. For more on those versions, see how to change page borders in Word 2010.

How to Add a Border to Just One Page

Microsoft notes that page borders are applied by section, not by individual page. That affects how you put a border on a single page:

• First page only: open Design > Page Borders, design the border, then set Apply to to This section – First page only. This also works for a cover page.
• A page in the middle: put that page in its own section first by adding section breaks before and after it. Then click on that page, open Page Borders, and set Apply to to This section.
• Every page except the first: choose This section – All except first page in the Apply to list.

How to Remove a Page Border

Microsoft’s Remove a page border article gives these steps:

1. Go to Design > Page Borders. Result: Borders and Shading opens.
2. In the Apply to list, choose the page or pages you want to remove the border from. Result: the setting will apply to the right part of the document.
3. Under Setting, choose None. Result: the Preview shows no border.
4. Select OK. Result: the border is gone.

To remove only one edge, such as keeping the top line but dropping the rest, click the sides you want to remove in the Preview diagram instead of choosing None.

How to Add or Remove a Border Around Text

Microsoft suggests a text border when you want a box or line without using a text box or table. From its Add a border to some text guide:

1. Select a word, line or paragraph. Result: the text is highlighted.
2. On the Home tab, select the arrow next to the Borders button. Result: the Borders gallery opens.
3. Choose a border, such as Outside Borders or Bottom Border. Result: the border appears around or under the text.

To change the look, open the Borders menu again and select Borders and Shading, then set the style, color and width. Check that Apply to says Text (a box around just the selected words) or Paragraph (a box across the full width). To remove a text border, select the text, open the Borders menu and choose No Border.

For a single horizontal line across the page, see how to add a solid line in Word.

How to Remove or Add Table Borders in Word

1. Click in the table, then select the table move handle (the small four-way arrow in the top-left corner) to select the whole table. Result: the entire table is highlighted.
2. Go to the Table Design tab. Result: table styling tools appear.
3. Select the arrow under Borders and choose No Border. Result: the table stays, but its lines no longer print.

To add borders back, choose All Borders from the same menu. Microsoft’s table border guide also describes the Border Styles gallery for a quick look and the Border Painter, which lets you click individual cell edges to add or change them. Table styles on the Table Design tab apply matching borders, shading and text formatting in one click. If you need to combine cells first, see how to merge cells in Word tables.

After you remove table borders, you may still see faint dotted lines on screen. Those are gridlines, which help you see the cells. Microsoft notes that gridlines don’t print with your document.

How to Add or Remove a Border on a Picture, Shape or Text Box

Microsoft’s borders for text boxes, pictures and shapes article covers these objects:

• Picture: select the picture, go to Picture Format, and select the arrow next to Picture Border. Pick a color, then use Weight for thickness and Dashes for the line style. Choose No Outline to remove the border.
• Shape or text box: select it, go to the Format (or Shape Format) tab, and open Shape Outline. The same color, Weight and Dashes options apply, and No Outline removes the border.

Borders in Word for the Web

Microsoft says Word for the web doesn’t let you add, edit or delete borders on text, though it keeps borders that were added in the desktop app. Its suggested workaround is to insert a one-cell table and type or paste your text into it. For page borders and full border control, open the document in the Word desktop app.

A Border Won’t Go Away

• Check the type. If None in Page Borders doesn’t remove it, the line is probably a paragraph border, table border or shape. Click directly on the line to see which tab appears.
• Check Apply to. If the document has several sections, a page border can remain in a section you didn’t select. Click in that section and remove it there.
• Check for a horizontal line. A line that stays when you delete text above it is often a bottom paragraph border. Select the paragraph above and choose No Border from Home > Borders.
• Check headers and footers. A line at the very top or bottom of every page may be a border inside the header or footer. Double-click that area and remove it there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a custom page border?

You can change the style, color, width and art from Word’s built-in choices and adjust the distance from the page edge with Options. Uploading your own artwork as a page border isn’t one of the options in Borders and Shading.

Do page borders print?

Yes. Page borders print like any other content. If the edge gets cut off, select Options in Page Borders and move the border farther from the page edge, or check your printer’s margin limits.

Why does my border appear on every page?

Page borders apply to the whole section by default. Use This section – First page only, or split the document with section breaks, to limit it.

How do I add lines like notebook paper?

That’s a different look from a border. See how to create a lined document in Word.

More Word Guides

• How to wrap text around a picture in Word
• How to fix line spacing that is too big in Word
• How to add a drop shadow to a picture in Word

Working in a browser? Here’s how to change the paper size in Word Online.