# how do I adjust borders in MS word?



## bj nick (Jun 10, 1999)

I don't get this. I created a border around a text document in ms word. the bottom part of the border won't print, so I checked the help for adjusting the border, and I followed all the directions: adjust the margins, etc. But when I'm done adjusting them, the changes are not reflected at all in my document. 

any ideas? seems to me it SHOULD be easy to just adust the settings for the margins so that the border is smaller, but it doesn't seem to work...


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## Raphael (Jun 20, 2001)

Change both the page margins, File > Page Setup, and the border margins. Format > Borders and Shading > Page Border > Options.
It might work for you, to set the border From Text, depending on your document.


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## bj nick (Jun 10, 1999)

Raphael- i don't get the logic of the border/shading functions. I don't understand it at all, and I've been messing with it for awhile. I have a situation where my document has the text more or less in the middle, and the border I selected around it. But the border is too far extended towards the bottom and top of the page, and I can't figure out how to make the border come in a little. In a publishing program, this is easy to do; a piece of cake. You just drag the borders in a little and it's completely wysiwyg. I don't understand how to do this in Word. Is word the wrong tool for this? It seems it should be easy to do. Can I attach the document to you so you see what I'm talking about?

thanks,
BJ


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## Dan O (Feb 13, 1999)

Word's Help has some good information, such as:

Add a border
In a Word document, you can add a border to any or all sides of a table, a paragraph, or selected text in a document. You can add a border, including a picture border (such as a row of trees), to any or all sides of each page in a document.
You can also add a border or line to a drawing object_¾ including a text box, an AutoShape, a picture, or imported art.

Notes
·	In Word documents, all tables by default have a ½-pt black, single solid-line border that prints. On Web pages, tables do not have a printable border by default.
·	In Word documents, you can use the Table AutoFormat command to add borders and shading to a table automatically.


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## bj nick (Jun 10, 1999)

Dan- thanks for the reply, but Word's info and "help" in this area are completely obtuse. I have tried every combination of setting and nothing happens. My border stays right where it is, which is too far towards the margins. I'm sure there is a way to do this easily but I sure don't see it. The "help" says you can just set the border around the text as close as you want, but this doesn't work at all in my case, whether I select the text, the whole page,select nothing, whatever. Sorry, I don't get it...


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## Dan O (Feb 13, 1999)

What version of Word are you using?

Have you applied all Service Release Patches, for example: Microsoft Office 97 SR-1?

Which will fix it.


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## bj nick (Jun 10, 1999)

I am using word from office xp


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## Dan O (Feb 13, 1999)

Office XP Updates:
12/04/02 Outlook 2002 Update: December 4, 2002 
10/16/02 Word 2002 Update: October 16, 2002 
10/16/02 Excel 2002 Update: October 16, 2002 
9/04/02 Office XP Service Pack 2 for Multilingual User Interface Pack 
8/20/02 Office XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) 
6/19/02 Word 2002 Update: June 19, 2002 
6/19/02 Excel 2002 Update: June 19, 2002 
6/19/02 Office XP Clip Organizer Update: June 19, 2002 
4/25/02 Word 2002 Update: April 25, 2002 
2/21/02 Office XP Service Pack 1 for Multilingual User Interface Pack 
1/24/02 Office XP Alternative User Input Update: January 24, 2002 
12/13/01 Office XP Update: Service Pack 1 (SP-1) 
10/4/01 Office XP Activation Update: October 4, 2001 
10/4/01 Outlook 2002 Administrative Update: October 4, 2001 
10/4/01 PowerPoint 2002 Administrative Update: October 4, 2001 
10/4/01 Excel 2002 Administrative Update: October 4, 2001 
8/16/01 Outlook 2002 Administrative Update: August 16, 2001 
8/16/01 Office Web Components 2002 Administrative Update: August 9, 2001 
6/21/01 Publisher 2002 Administrative Update: June 21, 2001 
6/21/01 Outlook 2002 Administrative Update: June 21, 2001 
6/21/01 Word 2002 Administrative Update: June 21, 2001

They can be downloaded from: http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/journ/adminup.htm#OffXP


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

Hmm. Updating won't do it.

I don't understand what kind of border you want, bj, but any kind can be created in Word.

The problem with the page border format is that it is intended to go around the PAGE, not selected text. It also prints very close to the bottom of the page, something that most home-model printers aren't capable of by default. So, instead, you change the settings of the page border to be XX points from text instead of XX points from the edge of the page.

You can also create a border with a drawn object just like the graphics programs do, as well. View-Toolbars-Drawing, and select the rectangle tool. While you have it selected, resize it by grabbing corners, change the thickness/color/style of its border.

You can also insert clipart borders.

If you can't manage your border, email the file and tell me what you want. [email protected]


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## phoneguy55 (Dec 28, 2000)

if Dreamboat says it can be done....believe me ...it can be done....

but I also have had trouble with the bottom edge borders in the past....sometimes I mess with the settings and get it just how I want it, but most times i just use the rectangle drawing method descibed above by Dreamboat. You settle for a simpler border, but it is quick and easy.....


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

It's because of your printer that the page borders don't work.

Test on new Word doc:

Set all margins to zero, hit OK.
You'll get a message box that the margins are outside the printable area, Fix or Ignore.
Choose Fix.
Look at the new margin settings.
These are the smallest margins that your printer is capable of printing.

Sometimes, you can choose Ignore and it will still print everything. Usually, setting your margin defaults to be higher on the footer works, but page borders don't adjust for that.


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