How to Use Your Word Processor

Formatting Borders and Shading

To format the borders and shading of text, objects and autoshapes, and pages in Microsoft Word, use the following techniques:

Text: To format the borders and shading of text, select the text you want to format (or place your mouse cursor within a paragraph) and choose the FORMAT > BORDERS AND SHADING command from the main menu. You can also choose the BORDERS AND SHADING command with your mouse by right-clicking (in Windows) or command-clicking (on the Macintosh). The Borders and Shading dialog box will open. Select the Borders tab to format the color and weight of the border; select the Shading tab to format the shade and color within the box.

Objects and Autoshapes: To format the borders and shading of objects and autoshapes (rectangles, circles, lines, and other shapes created with Microsoft Word's drawing tools), select the object or autoshape and choose the FORMAT > BORDERS AND SHADING command from the main menu. You can also choose the BORDERS AND SHADING command with your mouse by right-clicking (in Windows) or command-clicking (on the Macintosh). The Borders and Shading dialog box will open. Select the Borders tab to format the color and weight of the border; select the Shading tab to format the shade and color within the box.

Page Borders: To format a page, choose the FORMAT > BORDERS AND SHADING command from the main menu. The Borders and Shading dialog box will open. You can use the Page Borders tab of the Borders and Shading dialog box to format page borders. You can choose color, line thickness, and artistic effects. You can apply the border to all pages in a document or to pages in a specific section.