How To Insert Line in Word (With Different Methods) 

Lines are elements that help in guiding the flow of the text and separate the pages of a document. Whether you are creating a resume or writing any document, inserting lines can make it look organised and improve its readability. Learning different ways of inserting lines in Word can make your work suitable for both personal and professional use. In this article, we discuss various methods to insert a line in Word and describe its benefits. 

How to insert a line in Word

Learning how to insert a line in Word can help you create an easy-to-follow and appealing document. Here are different ways to insert a line in Word: 

1. Use the keyboard

When you use the keyboard to insert lines, Word places them in between lines of text. You can insert different types of lines using keyboard shortcuts. Some examples of lines you can insert through the keyboard are single, double, dotted, bold single, wavy and triple lines. Here are the keyboard shortcuts using which you can insert various lines:

• Typing three or more hyphens (—) without any space between them inserts a plain single line.
• Typing three or more equal signs (===) without any space between them inserts a plain double line.
• Typing three or more asterisks (***) without any space between them inserts a dotted line.
• Typing three or more tildes (~~~) without any space between them inserts a wavy line.
• Typing three or more number signs or hashtags (###) together inserts a triple line.
• Typing three or more underlines (___) together inserts a single bond line. 

2. Use borders button

The borders button also allows users to insert lines above or below a paragraph. You can also remove lines from one or more paragraphs using the border button. To remove a line, select the paragraph containing the line you want to remove. Then, click on the home tab, go to borders and choose no border in the drop-down menu. Here are the steps you can follow to insert a line using this method:

• Select the paragraph where you want to add lines.
• Navigate the cursor to the ribbon and click on the home tab.
• In the paragraph menu, click on borders. 
• Click on the line you want to insert from the drop-down menu.
• Save the changes. 

3. Use a bar tab

A bar tab can also allow you to separate paragraphs into columns using vertical lines. Here are the steps to insert lines in Word using a bar tab:

• Select the paragraph.
• Go to the paragraph section on the home tab.
• Click the tiny arrow on the bottom right corner.
• Select the tabs button at the bottom of the dialog box.
• Select the positioning of vertical lines according to your preference.
• In the alignment section, click on the bar button.
• Select set and click on ok. 
• Save the changes. 

4. Use shapes

Here are the steps you can consider to add vertical and horizontal lines in Word using shapes:  

• Open a new document by clicking ‘File’ and then on ‘New’.
• In the ribbon, click the ‘Insert’ tab.
• Find and click on ‘Shapes’ in the illustrations section of the toolbar.
• From the drop-down menu, select a line shape.
• The line template you selected can allow you to draw a line anywhere in the paragraph. 
• Drag circles on each end of the line to adjust its length according to your preference.
• Save the changes. 

5. Insert vertical lines and separate text into columns

Arranging texts into columns is a common technique to represent information in a document. By doing this, users can separate the text blocks into more than one column with a vertical line aligning between them. You can use the following steps to insert vertical lines and separate text into columns:

• Select the paragraph or the text you want to separate.
• In the ribbon, click on ‘Layout’. 
• Go to the drop-down list of ‘Columns’. 
• From the dropdown menu, you can select the number of columns.
• You can also add more columns and change the spacing between them.
• Save the settings by clicking ‘Ok’. 

6. Use graphics

You can also use graphics to insert creative vertical and horizontal lines in Word. Here are the steps you can consider to use graphics while inserting lines in a document:

• In the ribbon, click ‘insert’.
• Click ‘picture’ from the insert menu.
• From the dropdown menu, choose any of the three options.
• Click on the ‘device’ tab if you already have a picture saved on your computer.
• Click on the ‘online picture’ tab if you want to use a picture from the web.
• Click on the ‘stock images’ tab to use a picture from the Word picture stocks.
• Use anchor points at the end of the image to compress it.
• Drag the anchor points until the picture resembles a straight line.
• You can use the rotation handle to flip the horizontal line into a vertical line.
• Save the changes by clicking ‘ok’.

Benefits of inserting lines in a Word document

By inserting lines in a Word document, you can separate and split the text into columns or blocks. This may help in creating a more visually appealing text document. Creating a Word document using lines between the paragraphs can also allow readers to focus individually on a particular section of the page. Adding vertical lines in the right place can enhance the overall look of the document. Here are other benefits of inserting horizontal and vertical lines in a Word document:

• allows you to start a new topic, add a new section or create a break in the page
• minimises the need of creating a new page for adding more information to the document
• helps in using unwanted spaces
• allows you to create more appealing content and improve the audience engagement

Tips for using MS Word

Here are additional tips that can help you help you effectively use MS Word: 

Learn keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are effective tools that can help you perform different functions in Word. You can press specific keys and perform a certain action. There are many default shortcuts in Word. You can also programme your own shortcut and save time as manually performing actions may take more time. Consider learning basic shortcuts such as how to select text, copy, paste and undo when creating Word documents. 

Browse different templates

Word may have templates for various purposes. Depending on your requirement, you can select and use a template. You can find templates for resumes, cover letters, newsletters, reports and lists in Word. It also allows you to browse various templates and generate ideas to design your own document. 

Instal on multiple devices

You can download and instal Word across multiple devices. Consider installing it on your computer and phone. It can allow you to view and edit documents in different situations. You can access files from each device and edit them whenever you require. 

Use the Find tool to save time

You can use ctrl + F to find selected words or phrases in the Word document. It can help you save time in searching specific words throughout the document. The ‘find’ tool can highlight the words and allow you to edit all of them at once. 

Name your document

After creating a document on Word, consider naming it for easy identification. Naming the document can allow you to avoid its misplacement or loss. You can enter the name in the ‘file name’ box and save the document.