How to Add, Change, or Remove Page Borders in Word

To add or change a page border in Word, go to the Design tab and select Page Borders. Pick a setting, line style, color and width (or an Art border), then select OK. To remove a border, open the same box and choose None.

These steps come from Microsoft’s Add a border to a page and Remove a page border articles, which cover Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows and Mac, plus older versions like Word 2010.

Use the Word desktop app for these Page Borders instructions. If you are working in Word for the web and need the section-break method below, open the document in the desktop app, make the changes and save it. Microsoft notes that the web version cannot add section breaks.

In this article:

• Add a page border
• Choose the border style
• Put a border on just one page
• Change or remove a page border
• Page borders in Word 2010
• Adjust the border position
• FAQs

How to Add a Page Border in Word

1. Select the Design tab.
2. Select Page Borders on the far right.
3. In the Borders and Shading box, choose a border type under Setting, such as Box or Shadow.
4. Choose a Style, Color and Width. For a decorative border, pick one from the Art list instead.
5. Check the Preview box, then select OK.

Result: A border appears around every page in the section you chose.

How to Choose the Border Style

• Setting: the overall border type, on the left of the box. Choose None to have no border.
• Style: the line pattern, such as solid, dotted or double lines.
• Color and Width: select the arrows under each to pick a color and thickness.
• Art: Microsoft calls this a clip-art border. Select the arrow under Art and choose a border graphic.
• Apply to: choose the whole document, this section, or this section’s first page only.

For a simple custom frame, try a solid line in one color and review its thickness before accepting it. The Art list selects Word’s supplied border graphics; it is not a command to import a photograph. Review all four edges in Preview. If you only want top and bottom lines, use the diagram to turn the other sides off, then check Apply to before choosing OK.

How to Put a Border on Just One Page

Microsoft notes that page borders are applied by section, not individual pages.

• First page only: in the Page Borders box, set Apply to to This section – First page only. Microsoft says this also works for the first page of your document.
• A page in the middle: first put that page in its own section with section breaks before and after it (Layout > Breaks > Next Page), then click on that page and set Apply to to This section. Microsoft’s section-break guide shows this command. An ordinary page break starts a new page without establishing a separate section.

If that page also needs a different orientation, see how to make only one page landscape in Word, which uses the same section-break approach.

After adding section breaks, check the surrounding pages as well as the bordered page. A section can contain more than one page, so This section is only a one-page result when that section stays one page long. If later edits move text onto another page, review the section and border again. Avoid removing existing breaks without checking their effect on other formatting.

Result: Only the page you picked has a border.

How to Change or Remove a Page Border

1. Go to Design > Page Borders.
2. To change it, pick a new setting, style, color, width or Art.
3. To remove it, use Apply to to choose the pages, then select None under Setting.
4. Select OK.

To remove just one side, such as all but the top border, click that side in the Preview diagram.

How to Add or Remove Page Borders in Word 2010

Microsoft’s remove-a-border article includes the older layout: on the Page Layout tab, in the Page Background group, select Page Borders. The Borders and Shading box works the same way, and choosing None under Setting removes the border.

How to Adjust the Border Position

Select Options in the Page Borders box and adjust the margin settings to change where the border appears on the page, then select OK twice. If the border sits too close to your text, check your page margins too. See how to set 1-inch margins in Word.

If an edge disappears on paper, the printer’s minimum printable margin may be the cause. Open Design > Page Borders > Options and review Measure from: compare Edge of page with Text in the preview. Move the border farther inside the printable area and, if necessary, adjust the corresponding page margin under Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. Check the printer manufacturer’s minimum margins rather than assuming one setting fits every printer. Microsoft’s page-border printing guide explains the checks.

Before printing several copies, print one test page using the intended printer and paper size. A border that looks correct on screen can still be clipped by a printer. Check every required edge on the actual output, then keep the settings that worked for that printer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Page Borders in Word?

On the Design tab in current versions. In Word 2010, it is on the Page Layout tab in the Page Background group.

Why does my border show on every page?

Apply to is set to Whole document or This section. Choose This section – First page only, or put the page in its own section.

Can I add a border around a picture instead?

Picture borders and effects are separate from page borders. See how to add a drop shadow to a picture in Word.

For more help, see our Word page and layout guides.