Create line in word document

You can add horizontal lines, sometimes called horizontal rules, to a document or email message to help separate sections of text and add visual appeal. 

By default, Word and Outlook have a three-character shortcuts that inserts a full-width horizontal rule in your document or message. The appearance of that rule—thinner, thicker, double-line, dotted, wavy—depends on which shortcut you use, as illustrated in the image below. 

If this automatic line feature doesn’t suit you, you can turn off this feature in Word or turn it off in Outlook.

If you want to draw a line for illustration purposes, see Draw a line in Word or Outlook instead.

Insert a horizontal line by typing a few characters

The fastest way to add a horizontal line or rule is to use the AutoFormat feature. When you type certain characters three times in their own paragraph and then press Enter, those characters instantly become a full-width horizontal line.

1. Place the cursor where you want to insert the horizontal line.

2. Type three of the characters illustrated below, and then press Enter.

   

   The line is inserted for the full width of the page. When inserted into a column, the line is inserted to match the width of the column. To add text above the line, put your cursor where you want the text and begin typing.

Format the horizontal line after you create it

The shortcut described above creates an empty paragraph with a bottom border. You can change the look of that border line by using the Borders options:

1. In Word, on the Home tab of the ribbon, select the down arrow next to Borders.

   In Outlook, on the Format Text tab of the ribbon, select the down arrow next to Borders.

2. At the bottom of the menu, select Borders and Shading.

3. In the dialog, you can change the line’s style (solid, dotted, wavy, double, and so on), color, or width as you see fit. 

4. When you’re done formatting the line, select OK. Then, on the ribbon, select the  Borders button to apply your changes. 

Word: Turn off the automatic line feature

To prevent Word or Outlook from automatically inserting a horizontal line when you type the three shortcut characters, do the following:

1. On the ribbon, select File > Options.

2. In the dialog box, select Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type. 

3. Clear the Border Lines option.

4. Select OK.

Outlook: Turn off the automatic line feature

1. On the ribbon, select File > Options.

2. In the dialog box, select the Mail tab, then select Editor Options.  

3. On the Proofing tab, select AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type. 

4. Under Apply as you type, clear the Border Lines option.

5. Select OK.

Want to draw a line?

See Draw a line in Word or Outlook.

See Also

Add a border to some text

Draw shapes

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Use these three methods to quickly insert a line in your document

Updated on December 4, 2020

What to Know

• AutoFormat: Type the three characters for the desired line style > Enter.
• Horizontal Line tool: In Home tab, select Borders drop-down menu > Horizontal Line.
• Shapes menu: Go to Insert > Shapes. In Lines group, select and drag a line shape across the page.

This article covers three ways to insert horizontal lines in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.

Use AutoFormat to Insert a Line in Word

You can quickly insert a line into a Word document with the AutoFormat feature. To create a line, place the cursor in the location that you’d like to insert it, type the three characters for the desired line style, then press Enter.

To create the different types of lines, press the associated keys on the keyboard:

• Plain single line: Three hyphens (—)
• Plain double line: Three equal signs (===)
• Broken or dotted line: Three asterisks (***)
• Bold single line: Three underline symbols (___)
• Wavy line: Three tildes (~~~)
• Triple line with a thick center: Three number signs (###)

Here’s what each of these line types looks like in Word:

Use the Horizontal Line Tool to Insert a Line in Word

To insert a line into a Word document using the built-in Horizontal Line tool:

1. Place the cursor where you want to insert a line.

2. Go to the Home tab.

   By default, the Home tab is selected when you open a new or existing Word document.

3. In the Paragraph group, select the Borders drop-down arrow and choose Horizontal Line.

4. To change the look of the line, double-click the line in the document.

5. In the Format Horizontal Line dialog box, modify the width, height, color, and alignment of the line.

Use the Shapes Menu to Insert a Line in Word

A third way to add a line to a Word document is to draw it on the page. The Shapes menu contains several line options, including lines with arrow points on one or both ends. After you draw the line, customize the color and appearance.

1. Place the cursor in the spot where you want to insert a line.

2. Go to the Insert tab.

3. In the Illustrations group, select the Shapes drop-down arrow.

4. In the Lines group, choose a line shape.

5. In the Word document, drag across the location where you want the line to appear.

6. To change the look of the line, select the line to enable the Shape Format tab. (Some versions of Word call this Format.)

7. Go to the Shape Format tab and change the color, use a different line style, or apply effects.

FAQ

• How do I change line spacing in Word?

  To fix spacing in Word, highlight the text whose spacing you want to change and select the Home tab. Next to Paragraph, select the down arrow to expand the options. In the Spacing section, set the amount of space before and after line breaks or choose a preset line-spacing option.

• How do I add a signature line in Word?

  To insert a signature line in Word, go to the Insert tab and select Signature Line. Selecting few or no options leaves a blank line, and a signature line will appear in the document.

• How do I add line numbers in Word?

  To add line numbers in Word, go to Layout > Page Setup > Line Numbers and choose Continuous, Restart Each Page or Restart Each Section > Line Numbering Options.

Thanks for letting us know!

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Горизонтальная линия в Ворде — элемент дизайна, который служит для оформления текста или разделения документа на части. Добавление этого элемента в документ улучшает восприятие и удобство при чтении содержимого файла Word.

Вставка линий в Word помогает отформатировать документ, придать ему необходимый вид. Горизонтальная линия Word может сделать текст более легким для чтения, наличие линий делает документ более привлекательным.

Применение этого элемента дизайна в Microsoft Word поможет вашей работе выглядеть четко и профессионально как для личного, так и для корпоративного использования.

Из этого руководства вы узнаете, как сделать горизонтальную линию в Ворде, с помощью различных инструментов в текстовом редакторе Microsoft Word. Мы предложим вам три классических метода решения задачи и два нестандартных варианта. Инструкции этой статьи подходят для версий программы Microsoft Word: Word для Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010 и Word 2007.

Как вставить горизонтальную линию в Ворде с помощью клавиатуры (1 способ)

В этом методе мы используем функцию автоформата, чтобы разместить линию между строками текста, а не непосредственно в текстовой строке. Функция автоформата работает, когда до или после того места, где вы хотите поместить линию, нет текста.

Пройдите несколько шагов, чтобы вставить горизонтальную линию Word с помощью сочетаний клавиш клавиатуры:

1. Откройте документ Word, а затем щелкните курсором мыши по тому месту документа, куда необходимо вставить горизонтальную линию.
2. Введите три или более символов подряд для нужного стиля линии.
3. Нажмите на клавишу «Enter» на клавиатуре.

Это действие превращает набранные символы в сплошную линию, которая доходит до края страницы под последней строкой текста.

Вы можете создавать различные стили для линий, вводя три или более определенных последовательных символа в строке. Ознакомьтесь со списком символов, которые вы можете ввести для создания линий, оформленных в разных стилях:

• Дефисы (—) образуют обычную простую линию.
• Знаки равенства (===) создают простую двойную линию.
• Звездочки (***) образуют пунктирную строку.
• Подчеркивание (___) создает одну жирную строку.
• Тильды (~~~) создают волнистую линию.
• Цифровые знаки с решеткой (###) образуют тройную линию с толстым центром.

Как провести горизонтальную линию в Ворде с помощью добавления границы (2 способ)

Сейчас мы расскажем, как добавить горизонтальную линию в Word без использования параметров автоформата или автозамены. Мы используем встроенный инструмент «Границы» из настроек оформления абзаца, расположенный на ленте приложения.

Выполните следующие действия:

1. В окне открытого документа Word поместите курсор в то место документа, куда вы хотите вставить линию.
2. Во вкладке «Главная» войдите в группу «Абзац», а затем щелкните по стрелке около кнопки «Границы».
3. В раскрывающемся меню выберите пункт «Горизонтальная линия».

1. Это действие помещает линию в указанное место на странице документа MS Word.

1. Дважды щелкните левой кнопкой мыши по линии, чтобы отредактировать внешний вид этого элемента оформления документа.
2. Откроется диалоговое окно «Формат горизонтальной линии», в котором можно изменить ширину, высоту, цвет и выравнивание линии.

1. Нажмите на кнопку «ОК», чтобы применить эти настройки для оформления вида созданной горизонтальной линии.

Как нарисовать горизонтальную линию в Ворде с помощью «Фигуры» (3 способ)

Сейчас вы узнаете о третьем методе, с помощью которого можно нарисовать линию на странице документа Word. Меню «Фигуры» содержит несколько параметров линий, в том числе линии со стрелками на одном или обоих концах.

После того, как вы нарисуете линию, настройте цвет и внешний вид этого элемента. Линию можно нарисовать не по ширине листа, а произвольной длины.

Вам нужно пройти шаги, которые помогут вам вставить линию с помощью функции «Фигуры»:

1. Откройте документ Word, перейдите во вкладку «Вставка».
2. В группе «Иллюстрации» щелкните по значку «Фигуры».
3. В открывшемся меню выберите форму линии в опции «Линии».

1. Нарисуйте линию в любом месте документа, используя выбранный шаблон линии.

Чтобы нарисовать строго горизонтальную линию, сразу после выбора вида фигуры, нажмите и удерживайте клавишу «Shift», а затем проведите линию в нужном месте на странице документа.

1. Во вкладке «Формат фигуры» (в некоторых версиях Word — Формат) измените внешний вид линии, цвет, примените другие эффекты.

Как в Ворде прочертить горизонтальную линию с помощью таблицы (4 способ)

Это не самый удобный нестандартный способ вставки линии в документ Word, но им также можно воспользоваться.

Выполните следующее:

1. На странице документа Word установите в нужном месте указатель мыши.
2. Откройте вкладку «Вставка».
3. Щелкните по кнопке «Таблица» в группе «Таблица».
4. В выпадающем меню выберите одну ячейку из предложенного макета таблицы.

1. Во вкладке «Конструктор таблиц» щелкните по стрелке значка «Границы» в группе «Обрамление».
2. В открывшемся меню поочередно снимите выделение с пунктов «Левая граница», «Правая граница», а также с одного из двух пунктов: «Верхняя граница» или «Нижняя граница», в зависимости от того, верхнюю или нижнюю линию вы хотите оставить на странице.

Рассмотрим еще один необычный способ создания горизонтальной линии в документе Word. Это не совсем правильный метод, но и этим вариантом можно воспользоваться, если вам будет удобно.

Проделайте следующие действия:

1. Установите курсор мыши в нужном месте на открытой странице документа Word.
2. В группе «Шрифт» нажмите на значок «Подчеркнутый».

Если вы хотите изменить обычный прямой вид подчеркивания по умолчанию, нажмите на стрелку у кнопки «Подчеркнутый», и выберите другой подходящий вариант.

1. Нажимайте на клавишу «Space» (Пробел) до того места, где по вашему мнению должна заканчиваться горизонтальная линия.
2. В самом конце напечатайте точку.
3. В результате у нас появилась горизонтальная линия в документе Word.

1. Выделите точку, а затем измените цвет точки на белый, который соответствует фону страницы Word, для скрытия этого символа.

Если необходимо измените цвет линии, сделайте следующее:

1. Выделите линию на странице документа Microsoft Word.
2. Войдите в группу «Шрифт».
3. В опции «Цвета темы» выберите подходящий цвет из предложенных или воспользуйтесь палитрой с другими цветами.

Выводы статьи

Во время редактирования документа некоторые пользователи не знают, как начертить горизонтальную линию в Ворде. Этот элемент оформления придает документу привлекательность и удобство. Вы можете добавить горизонтальную линию в Word несколькими способами: при помощи клавиатуры, из настроек границ оформления абзаца, нарисовать с помощью функции фигуры, создать линию из таблицы или использовать метод подчеркивания.

Как добавить горизонтальную линию в Word (видео)

Insert Lines in Microsoft Word Documents

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated October 9, 2021

Applies to: Microsoft^® Word^® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)

You can insert a line in Word using the Ribbon or by using keyboard shortcuts. It’s best to avoid drawing lines and instead insert border lines in Microsoft Word (normally paragraph borders) so the line or lines will move as you edit the document.

In this article, we’ll focus on inserting lines using borders attached to paragraphs. In Microsoft Word, anything with a hard return after it is a paragraph. If you use border lines, you can customize the type of border, line thickness and color. You can also include paragraph border lines in styles so they will appear throughout your document. If you draw lines using Insert Shapes, you’ll have to worry about the line being inline or floating.

You can insert a line in Word in 3 ways using borders:

1. Use the Borders command on the Home tab in the Ribbon
2. Select and apply different types of lines using the Borders and Shading dialog box
3. Insert different types of lines using keyboard shortcuts (which add lines using AutoCorrect)

Recommended article: How to Keep Text Together in Microsoft Word

Do you want to learn more about Microsoft Word? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom Word courses >

Inserting a line using the Borders button

To insert a line in Word above and / or below a paragraph using the Borders button:

1. Select the paragraph(s) to which you want to add a line.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click Borders in the Paragraph group. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Select the line you want to use.

Below is the Borders command in the Ribbon in Word:

Removing lines using the Borders command

To remove a border line or lines from one or more paragraphs:

1. Select the paragraph(s) with the border lines you want to remove.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon and then click Borders. A drop-down menu appears.
3. Choose No Border from the drop-down menu.

Inserting a line using the Borders and Shading dialog box

You can apply a line or custom border lines to one or more paragraphs using the Borders and Shading dialog box.

To insert a line in Word above and / or below a paragraph using the Borders and Shading dialog box:

1. Select the paragraph(s) to which you want to add a line.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click Borders in the Paragraph group. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Select Borders and Shading. A dialog box appears.
5. Select a border style, color and width.
6. Click between the guides in the sample area on the right (above or below the sample).
7. Click Options (if required), enter any offset amounts to control the distance between the line and the paragraph and click OK.
8. In Apply to, ensure Paragraph is selected.
9. Click OK.

Below is the Borders and Shading dialog box where you can add a line or lines to paragraphs:

Removing lines using the Borders and Shading dialog box

To remove lines from one or more paragraphs using the Borders and Shading dialog box:

1. Select the paragraph(s) with the lines you want to remove.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon and click Borders. A drop-down menu appears.
3. Select Borders and Shading. A dialog box appears.
4. Click None in the Setting area.
5. In Apply to, ensure Paragraph is selected.
6. Click OK.

Inserting a line using keyboard shortcuts

You can also insert a horizontal line using keyboard shortcuts (which insert border lines as AutoCorrect entries).

Type the following characters and then press Enter or Return to insert lines:

• To insert a plain single line, type three hyphens (—).
• To insert a plain double line, type three equal signs (===).
• To insert a dotted line, type three asterisks (***).
• To insert a bold single line, type three underlines (___).
• To insert a wavy line, type three tildes (~~~).
• To insert a triple line, type three number signs or hash tags (###).

To remove these lines, select the paragraph with the line, click the Borders button on the Home tab and select No Border.

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If you want to add a horizontal line inside a Word document, you can do it by using the formatting tools. But inserting a vertical line is a little trickier. You have to insert the line as a shape. Word lets you tweak the line’s color, shape, style, angle, thickness and alignment. You can also add visual effects such as 3-D styles, outlines and shadows.

In this tutorial, you will learn the different ways to draw a line inside a Word document.

Method 1: Using Shapes Menu

The very basic method to draw a line inside a Word document is to draw it. You can do this by using the Shapes menu. This menu has several options such as lines with arrow points on one or both the ends. You can also customize the appearance and color of the line after drawing it.

Please follow the steps below:

• Open Ms Word, Double-click a Word document that you want to edit, or double-click the Word App Icon and click Blank document to open a new document.

• Now place the cursor where you want to insert a line and click Insert

• Click on Shapes drop-down arrow available in In the Illustrations group.

• Next,choose the shape of the line from the line group

• Inside the document, click on the shape and drag across the area where you wish the line to be placed.

 

Creating Vertical Line

• Put your cursor where you want the line to begin. Then, drag it to the area where you want the line to end.

Note: If you press the Shift key and drag the mouse while drawing the line, you can easily get an absolute horizontal or vertical orientation.

Change Style of Line

• You can change the style of the line, for that select the line and then click Format tab (Shape Format for some versions).

• In this Format tab you change the color, style or apply effects to the line.

Method 2: Using the Horizontal Line Tool

Another easy way to insert a line in the Word document is by using the Horizontal Line Tool present already. Let us see how you can use it.

Please follow the steps below in order to insert a line Horizontal Line Tool:

• Place the cursor in the word document where you want to draw a line and click Home Tab

Note: When you open a New Word document or an existing one, the Home tab is selected by default.

• Now go to Paragraph group and click on the Border drop-down and select Horizontal Line.

• A Horizontal Line will be inserted to your word document.

Change Style of the Line

In order to change the style (look) of the horizontal line, double click on the line

A Format Horizontal Line dialog box will appear where you can change the width, height, color and alignment of the line.

Method 3: Insert Line Above or Below Heading

Lines are commonly used in Word to decorate a heading or a subheading. It decorates the text and makes it eye-cathy, and also helps to divide the document into sections.

Please follow the steps below

• First place the cursor on the heading (where you want to add line) and click on Home Tab.

• Now go to Paragraph group and click on the Border drop-down and select Bottom Border to add line below Heading or Top Border to add line above Heading.

Method 4: Create Lines Using Keyboard

Another easy way to create a line in Word is to press the hyphen key 3 times and hit the Enter key. This will automatically create a straight line. You can also replace the hyphen key with an underscore or the equals symbol. This will give you thicker lines and doubles lines respectively. Hash signs can be used to drawing triple lines with thick centers.

You can use the Asterisk symbol to create a dotted line or use tildes to draw some wavy lines.

Using Hyphens (—)

• Just type three hyphens and press Enter on your Keyboard.

Using Underscore (___)

• Just type three underscore and press Enter on your Keyboard for thicker line.

Note: Press Shift + Hyphen to type Underscore

Using EqualTo Sign (===)

• Just type three EqualTo sign and press Enter on your Keyboard for double line.

Using Hash Sign (###)

• Just type three hash signs and press Enter to create triple line with a thick center

Using Asterisk Sign (***)

• Just type three asterisk Sign and press Enter to create a broken or dotted line.

Using Tildes (~)

• Just type three tildes and press Enter to create a wavy line

Conclusion

All of the methods described above are simple and easy to insert your desired lines in a Word document. Modification of the styles, colors and alignments is also easy with Word’s in-built line formatting tools. So, go ahead and play around with these methods a bit until you find the one that suits you the best.

Если вы хотя бы иногда пользуетесь текстовым редактором MS Word, наверняка знаете о том, что в этой программе можно не только набирать текст, но и выполнять ряд других задач. О многих возможностях этого офисного продукта мы уже писали, при необходимости, вы можете ознакомиться с этим материалом. В этой же статье мы расскажем о том, как в Ворде нарисовать линию или полоску.

Уроки:
Как создать диаграмму в Word
Как сделать таблицу
Как создать схему
Как добавить шрифт

Создаем обычную линию

1. Откройте документ, в котором необходимо нарисовать линию, или создайте новый файл и откройте его.

2. Перейдите ко вкладке “Вставка”, где в группе “Иллюстрации” нажмите кнопку “Фигуры” и выберите подходящую линию из списка.

Примечание: В нашем примере используется Ворд 2016, в предыдущих версиях программы во вкладке “Вставка” есть отдельная группа “Фигуры”.

3. Нарисуйте линию, нажав левую кнопку мышки в ее начале и отпустив в конце.

4. Линия заданной вами длины и направления будет нарисована. После этого в документе MS Word появится режим работы с фигурами, о возможностях которого читайте ниже.

Рекомендации по созданию и изменению линий

После того, как вы нарисуете линию, в Ворде появится вкладка “Формат”, в которой вы сможете изменить и отредактировать добавленную фигуру.

Чтобы изменить внешний вид лини, разверните меню пункта “Стили фигур” и выберите тот, который вам нравится.

Чтобы сделать пунктирную линию в Word, разверните меню кнопки “Стили фигур”, предварительно кликнув на фигуру, и выберите необходимый тип линии (“Штрих”) в разделе “Заготовки”.

Чтобы нарисовать не прямую, а кривую линию, выберите соответствующий тип линии в разделе “Фигуры”. Кликните один раз левой кнопкой мышки и потяните ее, чтобы задать один изгиб, кликните второй раз для следующего, повторите это действие для каждого из изгибов, а затем дважды кликните левой кнопкой мышки, чтобы выйти из режима рисования линии.

Чтобы нарисовать линию свободной формы, в разделе “Фигуры” выберите “Полилиния: рисованная кривая”.

Чтобы изменить размер поля нарисованной линии, выделите ее и нажмите на кнопку “Размер”. Задайте необходимые параметры ширины и высоты поля.

Совет: Изменить размер области, которую занимает линия можно и с помощью мышки. Кликните по одному из кружков, обрамляющих ее, и потяните в нужную строну. Если это необходимо, повторите действие и с другой стороны фигуры.

Для фигур с узлами (например, кривая линия) доступен инструмент их изменения.

Чтобы изменить цвет фигуры, нажмите на кнопку “Контур фигуры”, расположенную в группе “Стили”, и выберите подходящий цвет.

Чтобы переместить линию, просто кликните по ней, чтобы отобразилась область фигуры, и переместите ее в желаемое место документа.

На этом все, из этой статьи вы узнали, как нарисовать (провести) линию в Ворде. Теперь вы знаете немного больше о возможностях этой программы. Желаем вам успехов в ее дальнейшем освоении.

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Lines are an essential design element. In Microsoft Word, a horizontal or vertical line can divide a document and guide the flow of the text. You can insert a line in Word and format it differently to change a humble line into something more appealing.

It’s so simple, after all. But if you don’t know all the ways to do it, then this primer on how to insert a line in Word is for you.

How Do You Insert a Straight Line in Word With the Keyboard?

Did you know that you can quickly add a line in Word by typing a few characters? Word’s AutoFormat feature types stuff for you as you type it. You may have already seen it in action when it creates automatic bulleted lists.

You can insert not only a straight line but also add lines with different designs. Here’s how it works:

1. Place the cursor in the spot where you would like to start your horizontal line.
2. Then, type three characters for any possible line styles you see in the screenshot below—press Enter. For example, to draw a dotted line, type *** and press Enter.

As you will see, you will get six variations of the standard horizontal line.

• Plain single line with three hyphens (—)
• Broken or dotted line with three asterisks (***)
• Plain double line with three equal signs (===)
• Bold single line with three underline symbols (___)
• Triple line with a thick center with Three number signs (###)
• Wavy line with three tildes (~~~)

The line takes up the entire width of the page. When added inside a column, the line is inserted to match the width of the column. If you want to add text above or below the line, put your cursor where you want the text and begin typing.

You will also notice a tiny AutoCorrect Options button pop up next to the line. This is a shortcut that allows you to undo the automatic line when you don’t need it, stop them altogether, or dive into the AutoFormat options dialog.

You can turn off these lines permanently from the AutoFormat options dialog.

Go to AutoFormat As You Type tab > Apply as you type section > uncheck Border lines.

Insert a Horizontal Line From the Ribbon

If you find AutoCorrect annoying and disabled the option, there’s another quick way to add a horizontal line.

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the line.

2. Go to the Home tab and then click the dropdown arrow for the Borders option in the Paragraph group.

3. Select Horizontal Line from the menu.

4. To tweak the look of this horizontal line, double-click the line. The Format Horizontal Line dialog box enables you to modify the width, height, color, and alignment of the line.

5. To resize a line, select the line with a double click and then drag any of the resizing points to change the length or width.

6. To remove the line, select it and press Delete on your keyboard.

Use Borders to Add Horizontal and Vertical Lines

The Borders option in the Paragraph group also gives you another way to insert a top or bottom border that resembles a horizontal line in the document.

1. Click on the paragraph of text where you want the line to appear.

2. Got to Home and the Paragraph group. Click on the Border button. The Bottom border is usually the default. This places a line below the selected text on the page, or the paragraph if you haven’t selected any text.

3. For other options (like a vertical border), you can click on the tiny dropdown arrow on the Borders button to access a list of options.

4. To change the look of any border, click on Borders and ShadiThen, use Use the dialog to adjust the border’s style, color, and width.

5. Deleting this horizontal line in your Word document may not be obvious but it easy enough.

Use Shapes to Insert a Horizontal or Vertical Line in Word

The Shapes menu contains several line options. These line shapes come with one crucial difference—you can draw them at different angles. Then, after you draw the line, you can customize the color and appearance to make decorative horizontal or vertical lines even in the middle of a Word document.

1. Position the cursor where you want to insert a line.

2. Go to Insert > Illustrations group > Shapes dropdown arrow.

3. In the Lines group, choose the shape of the line.

4. Click and drag across the document with the mouse pressed till the endpoint. (Tip: Hold down the Shift key to insert a straight line that is either horizontal or vertical)

5. Keep the line selected to customize the appearance of the line with the Shape Format tab on the Ribbon.

6. Go to the Shape Styles tab, change the color, use a different line style, or apply effects.

7. You can also right-click on the line and choose Format Shape from the context menu to open more options for changing the look.

How to Add a Vertical Line and Separate Text into Columns

Text arranged into columns is a basic layout technique. For example, you can separate text blocks into multiple columns and insert a vertical line between them.

1. Select the text.

2. Go to Ribbon > Layout > (Page Setup group) Columns. Click on the dropdown and select the number of columns you want.

3. The text is now arranged into columns. Click on any column and go to Layout > Columns > More Columns.

4. In the Columns dialog box, check the Line Between box and click OK.

Note that you can also change the number of columns and the spacing between them from this dialog.

How to Use a Bar Tab to Insert a Vertical Line

Tab stops in Word help align lines and paragraphs. The bar tab, on the other hand, doesn’t set a tab. Instead, it. It inserts a vertical line and demarcates your paragraph into columns.

1. Select the paragraph where you want to add the vertical line.

2. Go to Ribbon > Home. In the Paragraph group click the tiny arrow to open the Paragraph Settings.

3. Click the Tabs button at the bottom of the dialog.

4. In the Tab stop position box, enter the position where you want the vertical line to appear. You can use the ruler at the top of the screen to gauge a value to enter.

5. Click the Bar button in the Alignment section. Click on Set and OK.

As you can see, I have set it to «-0.2» to make it appear just to the left of the first paragraph. To delete the vertical line, delete the bar tab.

Also: Want to make blank lines where the reader can fill in some information? You can use tabs to quickly create empty lines in forms with Microsoft Word.

How to Insert a Graphic for Creative Lines in Word

Using pictures for horizontal and vertical lines can be a creative workaround. But use them with care and avoid overusing them in a document as a stretched or condensed image can end up looking back on paper or the screen.

A graphic can be used as a straight line horizontally and vertically. Here’s how:

1. Go to Ribbon > Insert > Picture.
   
2. Choose one of the image sources from the dropdown. For instance, select This device to upload a line graphic you created in another program.
3. The screenshot below sources an illustration from Stock Images. The anchor points around the image help compress and stretch the image to something that resembles a straight line. Use the rotation handle to flip the graphic for a vertical line.
   

You can use these pseudo-lines as separators or as parts of the header or footer of your document. Use the Graphics Format toolbar on the Ribbon to format this illustration with Graphics Fill, Graphics Outline, and Graphics Effects.

Draw a Line in Your Word Document

Horizontal lines are more obvious and familiar. But adding vertical lines at the right place can boost the visual appeal of your content. Lines aren’t mere decorations… they can lead your eye to the most critical part of a document when used with subtlety.

Think about lines and use these methods the next time you sit down to write a professional report with Microsoft Word.

Vertical and Horizontal lines have many uses in a document. They can help to split up content, draw the eye to a particular place, or just provide visual flavor. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to insert a line in Word using a variety of methods that often have slightly different outcomes.

Vertical and horizontal lines in Word are useful

For example, you can add lines to a Word document by using symbols on your keyboard, the table tool, borders, shapes, drawing tools, or tabs.

Typically, you’ll find that it’s harder to make a vertical line in Word than a horizontal one, but it’s still very much possible. You can even have the vertical line automatically split your text into two columns, which is useful if you’re making a newspaper or leaflet.

We’ll show you this and more below:

How to Use AutoFormat to Insert a Line in Word

How to Use the Horizontal Line Tool to Draw a Line in Word

How to Draw a Line in Word with the Shapes Tool

How to Make a Vertical Line in Word and Separate Text into Columns

Insert a Vertical Line in Word Using a Bar Tab

How to Insert a Horizontal Line in Word Online

If you’d like to go further than just basic lines, follow our how to draw in Microsoft Word guide. It’ll walk you through adding various preset shapes and drawing freehand.

If you’re looking to add horizontal and vertical lines around the entire perimeter of your document, check out our how to add a page border guide instead. It’ll get you where you need to be in a few short minutes.

Microsoft Word has many functionalities, including inserting horizontal lines. This guide will teach you four methods to insert a horizontal line in Word.

Many people choose to work with Microsoft Word for its extensive features and the ability to customize their documents. With tools such as inserting a line in Word, you can easily create separate sections, add visual interest to your page, and add that extra professional touch to win over your readers.

In this article, you will learn how to insert a line in Word and change how your lines look in all versions of Word.

To insert a line into a Word document using the built-in Horizontal Line tool:

 Let’s discuss these steps in detail!

Method 1: How to Insert a Horizontal Line in Word

Microsoft Word has a built-in tool specifically for inserting all kinds of horizontal lines. You can find it by following these instructions:

1. Place your blinking cursor where you want to insert a line in your document.
2. Open the Home tab from the Ribbon interface on top of your screen. This is the default tab when you create or open a document.
3. In the Paragraph section, click on the arrow next to the Borders icon (as shown in the image below).
   
   
4. Choose Horizontal Line from the drop-down menu. This will insert a plain, solid line into your document, which you can leave as is or customize.
   
   
5. To customize the line, double-click on it once it’s in your document. The Format Horizontal Line dialog box will open in a new window.
6. Change all attributes you want to modify and click the OK button.

Method 2: Use keyboard shortcuts (AutoFormat) to insert a line in Word

By far, the most efficient way of inserting a line in Word is the AutoFormat feature, especially when looking for style. 

This only allows you to insert horizontal lines. However, it gives you the ability to choose from a variety of styles. All you need to do is type the correct symbols and automatically hit the enter key on your keyboard to insert a full-page length line.

Here are all the lines you can insert by using the AutoFormat shortcuts in most desktop versions of Word:

1. To insert a solid single horizontal line: Type three hyphens (—) & Press Enter.
   
   
2. To insert a solid double line: Type three equal signs (===) & Press Enter.
   
   
3. To insert a Dotted line: Type three asterisks (***) & Press Enter.
   
   
4. To insert a Bold single line: Type three underlined symbols (___) & Press Enter.
   
   
5. To insert a Wavy line: Type three tildes (~~~) & Press Enter.
   
   
6. To insert Triple line with a thick center: Type three number signs (###) & Press Enter
   
   

All of these lines adjust to the full length of your document, or when inserted into a column, adjust to the width of the column. 

Method 3: Use the Shapes function to draw a line in Word

The third way of adding a line to your Word document is by using the Shapes inside the application. This allows you to draw both horizontal and vertical lines or lines going in any direction. Here’s how you can use this tool in Word.

1. Place your blinking cursor where you want to insert a line in your document.
2. Select the Insert tab in the Ribbon interface, which can be found at the top of your screen.
3. Expand the Shapes group inside the Illustrations section, as shown below on the image.
   
   
4. In the Lines group, select a line that you want to insert.
   
   
5. Click and drag your cursor inside your document to draw a line. You can hold the Shift key to ensure your line is perfectly aligned.
6. Let go of your mouse button to insert the line into your document.
   
   
7. To customize your line, select it by clicking on it once and opening the Shape Format (or simply Format in some versions of Word) tab in the Ribbon.

Final thoughts

We hope that this article was able to help you learn how to insert a horizontal or vertical line in Word. You can now customize your documents further and deliver more professional products.

Now that you’re a PRO in inserting a line in Word consider subscribing to our Newsletter for more tips and GET 10% off Your Purchase!

Further Reading

> How to Insert a Signature in Microsoft Word
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> How to Wrap Text in PowerPoint
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