Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Adding Vertical Lines Between Columns.

Adding Vertical Lines between Columns

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 14, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

As you already know, Word allows you to add columns to your page layout. As part of your page layout, you may decide to add vertical lines between each column on your page. To do this, follow these steps:

Position the insertion point at the beginning of the material you want to appear in columns.
Display the Page Layout (Layout if you are using Word 2016 or a later version) tab of the ribbon.
Click the Columns tool and then click More Columns. Word displays the Columns dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Columns dialog box.

Specify the number of columns desired, as you normally would. (You need to specify at least 2 columns, but if you are already using 2 or more columns in your layout and you don't want to change the number of columns, leave this setting unchanged.)
In the Apply To box, select whether you want this change to apply to the whole document or just the current section of the document (if you have multiple sections in your document). Alternatively, you can choose This Point Forward, which causes Word to apply columns beginning where the insertion point is located.
Click on the Line Between check box. (The check box is available only if you choose two or more columns.)
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8877) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Adding Vertical Lines Between Columns.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Using Extend Mode

One of the most overlooked shortcut keys in Word has to be the extend key. Yet, learning how to use this simple key can ...

Discover More

Checking for Missing Quotation Marks

Word provides handy spelling and grammar checkers. The grammar checker won't catch everything, however. One thing it ...

Discover More

Accessing Footnote Text in a Macro

Using macros you can access just about anything in a Word document. Accessing the text within footnotes is no exception, ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Determining a Column Width

When laying out your document, you may wonder what width you should use for your text. An old typographers’ trick may ...

Discover More

Disappearing Column Formatting

Two things go into making your documents look just right: content and formatting. If the formatting seems to disappear on ...

Discover More

Changing the Number of Columns in the Middle of a Document

Need to have multiple columns in a page layout that normally consists of a single column? You can change the column ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 5 + 4?

2019-10-29 15:59:32

Janis Boyd

Unless you specifically want to use newspaper columns I think using tables offers far superior control of formatting columns.

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.