Prototype: Microsoft

The article How to add horizontal lines to a Give-and-take 2016 document shows you two means to add horizontal lines to a Word document. It's simple, and the results are easy to manage. Adding a vertical line is but every bit like shooting fish in a barrel only isn't always as intuitive. In this article, I'll show y'all four ways to add together vertical lines to a Word document:

  • Add together a shape
  • Add a bar tab
  • Add a edge
  • Attach to a column

Nosotros'll be looking at different ways to add vertical lines; we won't explore more advanced uses of lines.

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I'm using Part 365 on a Windows 10 64-bit organisation, just you can piece of work with earlier versions of Word. The techniques in this commodity aren't supported by the browser edition. You won't need a demonstration file; just open up a blank document and follow the instructions. I used the =Rand() office to produce generic content. Although I'm using Microsoft Word, well-nigh of the Office 365 apps support vertical lines to some extent.

Add a shape

Using the Line shape to insert, or describe, a vertical line might be ane of the easiest routes. You click a few times and information technology's in that location. Let's look at a elementary case:

  1. Click the Insert ribbon and then choose a line shape from the Lines section in the Shapes driblet-down (in the Illustrations group). The mouse will alter to a crosshair pointer.
  2. Click anywhere in the document. Hold down the Shift cardinal and drag and click to create the line's opposite betoken. Belongings down the Shift key ensures that the line is straight, as you tin can run across in Figure A.

Figure A

Insert a line shape.

If you click the screen tip to the right, y'all'll find several layout options for the line. This is merely a quick road to the Position and Wrap Text options on the contextual Shape Format tab. How y'all desire the line to interact with surrounding content will determine your choices. On the Shape Format tab, you'll also find options for changing the line's color, size, and other special effects.

You tin re-create, motion, or resize this line. Either endpoint tin can exist adjusted by dragging either point left or right. The point you aren't moving will remain anchored to its position.

Come across: 30 things you lot should never do in Microsoft Function (complimentary PDF) (TechRepublic)

If yous want both points to movement, hold down the Ctrl cardinal while yous move ane point or the other. The line responds similar to a child'due south seesaw, as though the line were centered on a fulcrum, merely only at first because yous can drag the point a full 360 degrees.

To delete the line, simply select information technology and printing Delete.

Add together a bar tab

A bar tab is a measurement; don't confuse information technology with the tab bar that appears at the bottom of an app screen or a running total for beverages at your favorite pub. Using Word, you'll set a bar tab the same way y'all gear up whatsoever other tab, merely instead of inserting a true tab, yous'll insert a black vertical line. We can illustrate this process with a simple example:

  1. Select the paragraph(southward) that you want to add together the vertical lines also. Bar tabs always become with paragraphs.
  2. On the Home tab, click the Paragraph group's dialog launcher.
  3. In the resulting dialog, click the Tabs button (in the lower-left corner).
  4. In the resulting dialog, enter a horizontal measurement that identifies where you desire the bar into the Tab stop position command. For instance, if you lot want the bar at the right margin, yous might enter 6.five (Effigy B).
  5. Click the Bar button in the Alignment department and then click Ready.

As you lot can meet in Effigy C, Word inserts a vertical line at the correct margin for only the selected paragraph(southward). This is a paragraph format; if you motility the paragraph(due south), you lot also motion the line. If you delete the paragraphs, you delete the line.

Effigy B

Figure C

Add together a line at the correct margin using a bar tab.

To delete the vertical line, delete the bar tab.

Add a edge

Like to the bar tab, you tin can add a vertical edge. The bar tab produces a single line, while the border choice has more options. Permit'south add together a border to i of the paragraphs every bit follows:

  1. Click anywhere inside the paragraph y'all desire to enclose with borders.
  2. On the Home tab, click the Borders dropdown in the Paragraph grouping to brandish a list of border options.
  3. For this example, click the Exterior Borders option (Figure D) to add the edge shown in Figure East.

Figure D

Cull a border pick.

Figure E

We enclosed the first paragraph completely.

Similar to the bar tab, the border goes with the paragraph. To remove the border, cull No Border from the dropdown.

Adhere to a column

This final method is just every bit easy as the others, but columns have many options that deserve an article or even two of their own. For our purposes, we'll non venture beyond inserting a vertical line betwixt columns. I'll exit it to you to explore columns more fully.

It's mutual to add a vertical line betwixt columns, but first, y'all need columns:

  1. Select the paragraphs you want to suit in columns.
  2. On the Layout tab, click the Columns dropdown in the Page Setup option.
  3. Cull Two to produce the ii columns shown in Effigy F.

Figure F

Two paragraphs are now arranged as columns.

At present, allow's position a vertical line between the two columns as follows:

  1. Click anywhere inside the columns.
  2. On the Layout tab, click the Columns dropdown and choose More Columns (at the finish of the list).
  3. Check the Line betwixt option (Figure Thou) just about the Preview section.
  4. Click OK to see the results in Figure H.

Effigy One thousand

Check the Line between option.

Figure H

You can position a vertical line betwixt columns.

Line up!

Adding a horizontal or vertical line can provide a keen visual consequence that focuses or defines an chemical element. Don't get nuts but explore the options, and you'll find adding a simple line here and there improves the readability of your documents.

Send me your question almost Office

I answer readers' questions when I tin can, only there's no guarantee. Don't send files unless requested; initial requests for help that get in with attached files will exist deleted unread. You tin send screenshots of your data to help clarify your question. When contacting me, be as specific as possible. For case, "Delight troubleshoot my workbook and fix what's wrong" probably won't go a response, merely "Can you tell me why this formula isn't returning the expected results?" might. Please mention the app and version that you're using. I'thousand not reimbursed past TechRepublic for my time or expertise when helping readers, nor do I ask for a fee from readers I help. You can contact me at susansalesharkins@gmail.com.