Google Docs is one of the most extensively used word processors around the globe. The ease of accessibility coupled with amazing features and workarounds is what makes it the first choice of users.
Borders are a great way of enhancing the visual appeal of your document and improving the clarity of the text. Once you add a border in a document, the content seems to be systematic and professional. For instance, when working on a document, try adding a border to it and see the impact it has on clarity and finishing.
Although Google Docs does not have a built-in feature to add a border, many workarounds will help you achieve the task. We will be looking at three simple ways to add a border in Google Docs.
Adding a Border in Google Docs
You can add a border in Google Docs by inserting a table, drawing, or an image from the web.
Inserting a Table
One of the easiest ways of adding a border to Google Docs is by inserting a 1×1 cell. When you use a table to add a border, editing the text inside is fairly easy as compared to other methods, making it one of the most employed workarounds.
To add a 1×1 table, open a document in Google Docs and tap on ‘Insert’ in the menu bar.
Move the cursor to ‘Table’ in the drop-down menu and then click on the first square from the options.
A 1×1 table is now added to the document. Next, place the text cursor inside the table and repeatedly press ENTER until the table covers the whole page.
Once the table covers the whole page, you can start typing the contents.
Moreover, you can also customize the table as per your preference for a better presentation. To customize, right-click anywhere inside the table and then select ‘Table properties’ from the context menu.
You can edit the color of the border, its width, the background color, and various other properties. Once you are done making the changes, click on ‘OK’ at the bottom to apply them.
One of the advantages of using a 1×1 table for adding borders is that you can easily type inside it and edit the contents, which saves a lot of time.
Inserting a Drawing
Inserting a drawing is another way of adding a border to Google Docs. Although it is not one of the most favorable methods, it gives you the option to add borders of various shapes.
To insert a drawing, click on ‘Insert’ in the menu bar, move the cursor to ‘Drawing’ and then select ‘New’ from the menu.
The drawing window will open. Next, click on ‘Shapes’ in the toolbar, select ‘Shapes’ from the menu and then select the required shape from the list of options. Since we are adding a border, a rectangle is an option preferred by most users.
Now, hold and drag the cursor across the screen to draw a rectangle. You will notice that the background color is light blue, which does not sync with the white color of the document. To change the color, click on ‘Fill color’ in the toolbar and then select ‘White’ from the list of colors. This will change the background to white.
Now, enter the contents of the page in the shape and click on ‘Save and Close’ at the top. You can also copy the content beforehand and paste it into the text box in the drawing, which is the simpler option.
You now have a document with a border similar to the one we had when we inserted a table.
One of the drawbacks of using this method is that the text is inside the drawing, and not the document, therefore, you will have to open the drawing window to make any edits. To open the drawing window, double-click on the drawing, make the necessary edits then click on ‘Save and Close’ at the top, as we did above.
Inserting an Image
The methods mentioned above add a simple border to the document, however, if you want to add something fancy and appealing, go with images. Although this method is a bit extensive and intricate, the result is worth the effort.
This method is similar to the above one. Open the drawing window by clicking on ‘Insert’ at the top, selecting ‘Drawing’ from the drop-down menu, and then clicking on ‘New’.
Next tap on the last option in the toolbar ‘Image’ of the drawing window.
Now, head to the ‘Search’ tab at the top, enter the relevant keyword in the search box, press ENTER, select a border from the image search results and then click on ‘Select’ at the bottom.
Click on the ‘Text box’ icon in the toolbar to add text inside the image.
Hold the drag the cursor to draw and text box and then enter the contents. Furthermore, you can customize the font size, style, and other text properties. Once you are done, click on ‘Save and Close’ at the top-right corner.
The image is now added to your document, but it’s not properly placed, and there is white space along the edges. To remove the white space, we have to set all the margins to zero. To change the margins, select the image and then click on ‘File’ in the menu bar.
Next, select ‘Page setup’ from the drop-down menu.
The ‘Page setup’ window will open. Make sure the ‘Apply to’ is set to ‘Selected content’. You will see that the four margins are set to 1, which is the default setting, unless you have changed it.
Now change all the margins to 0 and click on ‘OK’.
Now, hold and drag the small square boxes at the edges to enlarge the image so that it fits the page.
You now have a fancy border in your document. You can similarly insert other styles of the border as well by selecting a different image.
Now that we have discussed how to add a border to Google Docs, you can use it to make your document professional and appealing.
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