Top 3 Ways to Add Borders in Google Docs

Google Docs is a free online word processor that many people refer to because of its simple interface and options. However, the simplicity also means it misses some features. One such omission is the option to add a border to a page.

Borders can give your document an elegant touch and make it stand out, especially if you’re creating a custom template in Google Docs and don’t mind adding other design elements.

While not a built-in option, there are several ways to add borders in Google Docs. In his post, we will discuss the 3 best ways to do this.

Lets start.

1. Use 1 x 1 Table

Let’s start with an easy one. You can use the table option to add a border to your document. Here’s how to do it.

Stage 1: Open your Google Docs document. Then click the Add menu at the top. Then go to Table and select 1 x 1 table (a table with one column and one row).

Step 2: If you prefer to adjust the width and height of the table, you can do so by holding and dragging the lines as you see fit.

Alternatively, you can hold the cursor inside the 1 x 1 table and repeatedly press Enter to expand the table.

Stage 3: You can use the four options in the upper right corner to customize the table. With this, you will be able to change the colors, thickness and style of the border. Additionally, you can choose between different colors for the background.

Alternatively, you can go to the Format menu, then click Table and select Table Properties at the bottom of the list. Here you can also adjust the cell padding to adjust the distance between your text and the border. Then press OK to make these changes.

Step 4: To change the spacing between the border and the page, you can click on the File menu and go to Page layout.

Note: First create the table and then type or paste the text.

2. Draw Yourself

If you want more border options, you can use the integrated drawing feature.

Stage 1: Open your Google Docs document. In Google Docs, go to the Insert menu, select the drawing, then click + New.

Step 2: In the drawing window that opens, click the Shape button, select Shapes and select an object according to your border preference.

Stage 3: Draw the shape by clicking anywhere and dragging your mouse. As with the table method, you can further customize the borders using the tools mentioned earlier.

Step 4: When you’re done customizing your border, select Save and hit the close button in the top right corner; Google Docs adds the border to the page. You can also select the anchor points to resize the table.

If you want to change the border after adding it, select the border and click Edit from the menu to return to the drawing window.

3. Use a Picture

If you want more stylish borders for your document, you can add the borders as an image and then add text on it.

Stage 1: Go to Insert menu and hover over Drawing option and click + New to open drawing panel.

Step 2: In the drawing window, click the image icon at the top. You can add images from your computer, drive or by adding its URL. If not, you can also click Search to search for an image online.

In addition, you can directly paste a picture from your clipboard.

Stage 3: After adding the image, use the Text Box icon at the top to add text inside. Once complete, click Save and hit the close button to insert the drawing into your document.

If you want to edit the picture, double-click on it to open the drawing panel.

Bonus: Add Border Around a Paragraph

Although there is no option to add a border to a page, there is an option to add borders around lines and paragraphs.

Stage 1: Move your cursor to the line or paragraph where you want to add the border. Then click Format from the menu. Go to Paragraph styles and select Borders and shading.

Step 2: In the border and shading window, select the location of the border lines. Then customize the border by changing the width, color, hyphen, background color, and paragraph padding. After that, hit Apply.

To remove the border around a paragraph or line, hold the cursor anywhere on the border and go to Borders > Shading again. Click on Reset and hit Apply.

Adding a Degree of Difference

We hope that soon Google will add a more comprehensive option to add borders. You can rely on these methods to add borders to make your document stand out for now. There are also some ready-to-use templates to add creativity to your documents.