How to Make Columns With Lines in Word

By Michelle Rosa Raybeck

When creating a newsletter or brochure, a large block of text can be boring and even irritating to read. Instead, the text should run in space-saving and visually pleasing columns. Microsoft Word has a feature that allows you to create neat, uniform columns separated by a vertical white space, which can even include thin vertical lines for that sharp newspaper look.

Save your Word document before making any changes. If some sections will need to have different numbers of columns (one through five), break the document into sections by choosing Insert>Break>Section Break Types>Continuous.

Place the cursor in the section where you want to create columns. Click and drag to highlight the text you want to put into columns. From the standard toolbar, select the "Columns" button, which looks like two little columns of text; alternatively, you can choose "Format>Columns" from the drop-down menu at the top of the document window.

From the Standard toolbar, when you select the "Columns" button, four little columns drop down. Drag to choose how many columns you want. From the drop-down menu, a Columns dialog box opens. Click to choose the number of columns you want, and then click "OK."

To add vertical lines between columns, you cannot use the Standard toolbar. Choose "Format>Columns" from the drop-down menu at the upper left of the window and a dialog box will open. Select how many columns you want. Then click the "line between" button, and hit "OK." A vertical line will appear between the columns.

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