How to Apply an Outside Border in Word

Applying the outside border is crucial to separate and highlight any specific part of the text or paragraph. Though there are highlighting options by applying different colors or underlining, applying outside borders is more effective. But if you don’t have the idea about it, you may face difficult situations when it is a must to apply an outside border.

If you want to save yourself from that situation, you must learn how to apply an outside border in Word. You can apply border outside of a sentence, a paragraph, or even can customize it in the way you want. Applying the outside border in a part of the text will help that particular portion to grab more attention.

The Usage of an Outside Border in Word

Applying an outside border to any certain part of the text is always suggested if you want to make that part catchy. Of course, there are options for making any part catchier, like underlining and using different colors. But applying outside border is quite the best option if you want to highlight a whole paragraph.

It also looks formal rather than applying another color or underlining the text. Now let’s take a look at the usage of an outside border in your article:

• It will help to grab more attention of the readers into your article
• Adding an outside border in the documents will make them more attractive to look at and read
• Successfully separates any certain part of text from the whole article or document 

How to Apply an Outside Border in Word – The Path to Follow

After knowing its usage, curiosity might have grown into your mind about this outside border in MS Word. Applying this outside border is not the most challenging task if you are in the right way. However, the wrong path won’t help you to apply an outside border properly under any circumstances.

That’s why we are here with the correct path of performing this task that you can follow:

Step-1: Open Microsoft Word and Create a Document

To perform any action in MS word, you must first open Word on your desktop or laptop. Then you will have to create a blank document there by clicking on the icon named “New blank document.” Thus, a new document will be created where you can write any kind of article or text you want.

Step-2: Select the Desired Text Part

You need to write some texts on that newly created blank document before applying the outside border. Let’s assume you have written ten lines in there, which are divided into two different paragraphs. From there, you want to apply an outside border in the first paragraph.

You can also apply this border outside of any line, but the procedures are always the same. As you want to apply outside borders in the first paragraph, you need to select all the texts in that paragraph first. For selection, take your mouse cursor to the top of that paragraph, click, and hold the right button of the mouse.

Then drag the mouse to the portion where the last text of the paragraph is written and leave the right button of the mouse. As a result, there will be a black shade all over the desired text, and the paragraph is appropriately selected.

Step-3: Enter the Home Tab and Access the Border Section

After selecting the desired part of the text, you will have to click on the “Home” tab situated on the word window. As you click there, some options within this tab will come out. Then you will have to click on the “Border” icon just above the “Paragraph” option, as shown in the picture below.

There will be options to choose from different types of borders in this border section. Scroll down those different border options and come down to the list until you reach the bottom of it. At the bottom, you will find the “Border and Shading” option there, and you need to click on it instantly. 

Step-4: Apply the Outside Border to the Paragraph

Clicking on that option will bring up the “Border and Shading” dialogue box on the computer screen. In this section, there will be a part named “Preview,” with some boxes at the left. In this part, you will have to select the Up, Down, Left, and Right border boxes to get things going correctly. 

Right below that part, you will find an option named “Apply To” with a dropdown icon. Click on that dropdown icon to expand the options panel, where you will see two options as “Paragraph” and “Text.” Select any of these two options based on the context of your article requirements. 

Then you will have to click on the “OK” button to save the changes you have made in this part of “Border and Shading.” Thus, you will find a border appearing outside the selected text area. For example, if you want to know how to draw a red box around text in Word, just changing the box color would do it. 

How to create border in word

How to Add Border in Word Mobile App

Adding outside border in word mobile app is easier as well, and let’s find out how to perform it:

Step-1: Opening the Word app on your phone is the first step to perform. Then you will have to create a blank document just like you did in the computer version of it. 

Step-2: Next, you will find the options tab showing “Home” with a dropdown icon, and you need to click on it. The panel will expand, and from there, find and press on the “Insert” option. 

Step-3: Scroll down a bit in that “Insert” section, and you will find the “Text Box” option. Clicking on it will bring a box on the word window where you can write any text. You can also change the size of that box and rotate it by using the given slider in the corner.

Final Thoughts

Adding outside borders to any text might become a necessity under any circumstances. But if you don’t have an idea about how to perform the task, then it can push you into the deep well of difficulties. If you want to avoid such difficulties, it is better for you to learn the procedure of how to apply an outside border in Word.

Applying an outside border to any particular text area will separate that part or paragraph from the whole article. As a result, it will help that text portion to grab more attention from the reader. So, applying outside border plays a vital role in the context of the article.