You may need to add a border around an entire page in Word for a certificate, a flyer, or a formal report cover. Word includes a built-in page border feature that applies a line, art, or shadow border to the page margins. This article explains how to open the Borders and Shading dialog and apply a border to every page in your document or only specific sections.
The page border feature is located under the Design tab and works with any Word version from 2010 through Word for Microsoft 365. You can choose from preset border styles, custom colors, and widths, or select from a gallery of decorative art borders. The border is applied to the page layout and prints with the document unless you set it to not print.
This guide covers the steps to add a page border, how to apply it to the first page only, and how to remove a border you no longer need.
Key Takeaways: Adding a Page Border in Word
- Design > Page Borders: Opens the Borders and Shading dialog where you set the border style, color, width, and art.
- Apply to drop-down menu: Lets you apply the border to the whole document, this section, this section – first page only, or this section – all except first page.
- Options button: Adjusts the distance between the border and the edge of the page or the text margin.
Understanding the Page Border Feature in Word
The page border feature in Word is part of the Borders and Shading dialog, which also controls paragraph borders and cell borders in tables. When you add a page border, Word draws a line or graphic frame inside the page margins. The border does not affect the text area — it sits between the page edge and your content.
You can choose from these border types:
- Box: A uniform line around all four sides of the page.
- Shadow: A box border with a shadow effect on the bottom and right edges.
- 3-D: A border that appears to have beveled edges.
- Custom: Lets you set different line styles, colors, or widths on each side.
- Art: Decorative repeating graphics such as stars, hearts, or trees.
The border is a page-level formatting property. It applies to the current section by default. If your document has multiple sections, you can apply different borders to each section. The border prints with the document unless you clear the Print Page Borders option in File > Options > Display.
Steps to Add a Border to the Entire Page
Follow these steps to add a page border to every page in a single-section document.
- Open the Design tab
Click the Design tab on the ribbon. In Word 2010 and 2013, this tab is labeled Page Layout. - Click Page Borders
In the Page Background group, click Page Borders. The Borders and Shading dialog opens with the Page Border tab selected. - Choose a border style
Under Setting, select Box, Shadow, 3-D, or Custom. For a decorative border, select Art from the drop-down list and choose a graphic. - Set the line properties
If you chose a line border, select a Style (solid, dashed, dotted), a Color, and a Width from the corresponding drop-down menus. - Apply the border to the whole document
In the Apply to drop-down menu at the bottom right, select Whole document. Click OK to close the dialog and apply the border.
The border appears immediately on every page. If you do not see the border, switch to Print Layout view by clicking the Print Layout icon in the status bar or going to View > Print Layout.
Apply a Border to the First Page Only
To add a border only to the first page, insert a section break after the first page before applying the border.
- Insert a section break
Place the cursor at the end of the first page. Go to Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks. - Open Page Borders
Click Design > Page Borders. - Set Apply to
In the Apply to drop-down menu, select This section – first page only. Configure the border style and click OK.
Remove a Page Border
- Open the Borders and Shading dialog
Click Design > Page Borders. - Set the border to None
Under Setting, click None. Click OK to remove the border from the current section or the whole document.
Common Mistakes and Limitations When Adding Page Borders
The border does not appear on screen
Page borders are visible only in Print Layout view and Print Preview. If you are in Draft or Outline view, switch to Print Layout. Also verify that the border color is not set to white or a very light color that blends with the page background.
The border prints incorrectly or is cut off
Most printers cannot print to the very edge of the paper. If the border is too close to the page edge, it may be clipped. Click Options in the Borders and Shading dialog and increase the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins under the Margin group. A typical safe value is 24 points (about 0.33 inches) from the edge of the page.
The border appears on only some pages
This usually happens when the document contains section breaks. Each section can have its own border settings. To fix this, open the Borders and Shading dialog for each section and set Apply to to Whole document, or remove section breaks and reapply the border.
Art borders look pixelated or distorted
Word’s art borders are low-resolution graphics designed for screen display. They may appear jagged when printed at high resolution. For professional documents, use a line border instead of an art border, or insert a vector graphic as a watermark.
Page Border Types and Their Best Use Cases
| Border Type | Best Use Case | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Formal documents, reports, and letterhead | No visual depth — flat appearance |
| Shadow | Certificates, award sheets, and title pages | Shadow is fixed to bottom and right edges only |
| 3-D | Flyers, posters, and informal announcements | May look outdated in modern documents |
| Art | Children’s worksheets, party invitations, and scrapbook-style pages | Low resolution; limited selection |
Page borders are a simple way to frame your content without using text boxes or image backgrounds. The feature works across all modern versions of Word and requires no add-ins or templates.
After applying a border, check the result in Print Preview by pressing Ctrl+F2. If the border is too thick or too thin, return to the Borders and Shading dialog and adjust the Width setting. For a border that matches your company colors, use the Color picker and enter a specific RGB or hex value if you have one.
One advanced tip: to create a double-line border, select Custom under Setting and then apply different line styles to each side using the Preview diagram. This gives you full control over the appearance of each edge.