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How Do I Change the Border Shading in Word?

Published in Microsoft Word Formatting 3 mins read

To change the border shading in Microsoft Word, follow these steps to access the border settings and customize the shading:

  1. Go to the Design tab (or Layout tab in some older versions of Word).

  2. Click on Page Borders in the "Page Background" group. This opens the "Borders and Shading" dialog box.

  3. In the "Borders and Shading" dialog box, ensure you are on the Borders or Page Border tab, depending on whether you are changing a paragraph border or a page border.

  4. Under Setting on the left, choose the border style you want (e.g., Box, Shadow, 3-D, or Custom).

  5. Customize the shading:

    • Color: Select the desired color for the border from the "Color" dropdown menu. If you want a shade not listed, click "More Colors..." to open a color picker.
    • Width: Choose the desired line width for the border from the "Width" dropdown menu. This affects how bold the border appears.
    • Art (For Page Borders Only): If you are on the "Page Border" tab, you can also select an "Art" option for a decorative border. These options often have their own color settings. (Note: This changes the overall border appearance, not just the shading.)
    • Shading Tab: While primarily for the inside of a paragraph or page, sometimes the Shading tab can influence the overall appearance depending on the other settings. Explore settings within the "Shading" tab for background colors or patterns inside the border area. Experiment to see if they provide a desired effect.

  6. Preview: The preview pane on the right side of the "Borders and Shading" dialog box shows a live preview of your border settings.

  7. Apply: Click "OK" to apply your changes.

Here's a summarized table of how the settings affect border appearance:

Setting Description
Color Sets the color of the border lines.
Width Determines the thickness (boldness) of the border lines.
Style Defines the type of line used (e.g., solid, dashed, dotted).
Art Applies a decorative image as a border (Page Border Tab Only).
Shading (Tab) Can affect overall border appearance when used in conjunction with the above settings.

If you are looking to change the background color inside a border, use the "Shading" tab to set the background fill color. Be mindful of how shading color affects readability if you have text inside the bordered area.

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