While Google Docs doesn't include a built-in feature for adding borders, incorporating borders can enhance the professional look and organization of your documents. There are several effective methods to add borders, such as inserting a table, using the drawing tool, or adding an image as a border.

Insert a Table to Create a Border

Using a single-cell table is one of the easiest ways to add a border in Google Docs. This method allows for straightforward editing of the text within the bordered area.

Step 1: Open your Google Docs document and click on Insert in the menu bar.

Step 2: Hover over Table in the drop-down menu, then select a 1×1 table by clicking on the first square.

Step 3: A single-cell table will appear in your document. Click inside the cell and press Enter repeatedly until the table expands to cover the entire page.

Step 4: Once the table covers the page, you can begin typing or paste your content inside the table cell.

Step 5: To customize the border, right-click inside the table and select Table properties from the context menu.

Step 6: In the Table properties sidebar, you can adjust the border color, thickness, and background color to suit your preferences. After making changes, click OK to apply them.

This method is advantageous because it allows for easy editing of text within the bordered area, saving time and effort.

Use the Drawing Tool to Add a Border

The drawing tool in Google Docs provides another way to add a border. This method lets you create borders of various shapes but requires more steps when editing text.

Step 1: Click on Insert in the menu bar, hover over Drawing, and select New to open the drawing window.

Step 2: In the drawing toolbar, click on the Shape icon, choose Shapes, and select the Rectangle shape.

Step 3: Click and drag on the canvas to draw a rectangle. By default, the shape has a light blue fill color.

Step 4: To change the background to white, click on the Fill color icon in the toolbar and select White from the color palette.

Step 5: Click inside the rectangle to add text. You can type directly or paste existing content into the shape. Format the text as needed.

Step 6: When you're finished, click Save and Close at the top-right corner to insert the drawing into your document.

Note that editing text within the drawing requires you to reopen the drawing tool by double-clicking on the drawing.

Add a Border Using an Image

For a more decorative border, you can insert an image as a border. This method allows you to add stylish borders but involves more steps.

Step 1: Click Insert in the menu bar, hover over Drawing, and select New.

Step 2: In the drawing window, click on the Image icon in the toolbar.

Step 3: Go to the Search tab, enter keywords like "page border" in the search box, and press Enter. Select a border image from the results and click Select.

Step 4: After inserting the image, click on the Text box icon in the toolbar.

Step 5: Draw a text box over the image where you want to add text. Type or paste your content into the text box and format it as needed.

Step 6: Click Save and Close to insert the image with text into your document.

Step 7: To remove any unwanted white space around the border, adjust the page margins. Click on File in the menu bar and select Page setup.

Step 8: In the Page setup window, set all margins (top, bottom, left, right) to 0 and click OK.

Step 9: Resize the image by clicking and dragging the corners so it fits the entire page without any margins.

This method lets you add decorative borders to your document, enhancing its visual appeal. You can choose different border styles by selecting various images.

Adding borders in Google Docs can make your documents look more organized and professional. Whether you use a table, drawing, or image, these methods provide effective ways to include borders in your documents.