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How to Add a Page Border in Google Docs

  • You can add a border to a document in Google Docs, even though there's no built-in border tool for doing this automatically.
  • An easy way to create a single colored line border around your document is to add a single-cell table to the page.
  • You can also insert a bordered image and create a text box inside the image.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Google Docs is a simple and convenient document creator, but it doesn't have the depth of a full-featured word processor, like Microsoft Word.

This is evident if you try to create a document with a border that goes around the entire page — which isn't directly supported, but can be done using a workaround.

There are two ways to make a page border in Google Docs.

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How to add a border in Google Docs using a table

The most popular way to add a border in Google Docs is to create a single-cell table that goes around the entire page.

1. In Google Docs, click "Insert" in the top menu.

2. Click "Table," and then click the upper-left square of the table, which creates a 1x1 cell on the page.

Insert a one cell table in your document to simulate a border.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Press "Enter" on your PC or "return" on your Mac keyboard repeatedly to expand the cell all the way down the page. When the cell reaches the end of the page, it will continue onto the next page.

4. Click "Format," and then click "Table," followed by "Table Properties."

5. In the "Table properties" box, you can change the cell's color and thickness. You may also want to increase the cell padding, which puts more space between the border and the text on the page. When you're done, click "OK."

Use the "Table properties" box to customize the border.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

6. If you prefer, you can reduce the page margins so the border is closer to the edge of the page. Choose "File," then "Page setup," and reduce the margins on the top, bottom, left, and right.

How to add a border in Google Docs using an image

Another option is to insert a border image in the document, and add a text box inside it. This is a more aesthetically pleasing option, but is much more restrictive than using a one-cell table.

1. Click "Insert" in the top menu followed by "Drawing," and then "+ New."

Insert a border via the "Drawing" tool.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

2. Insert an image of a border that you want to use into the Drawing window. If you've copied it to the clipboard, you can simply paste it in. Otherwise, click the Image button in the toolbar and insert it that way.

  • You can either insert an image from your computer, Google Drive, or a URL take a snapshot on your computer.
  • You can also directly search for an image on the web by clicking "Search" and typing your keywords into the Google search bar at the top.

Select "Search" to search the Internet for an image.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Once you have the image that you want, click "Select."

4. Click the Text Box button in the toolbar and create a text box inside the border.

After inserting the image, create a text box and enter your text.
Isabella Paoletto/Business Insider

5. Add the text you want to appear in the border. When you're done, click "Save and Close."

Click "Save and Close" when you're done.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

  • 'What is Google Authenticator?': How to set up Google's two-step verification software to secure all of your Google apps

  • How to draw in Google Docs using the built-in 'Drawing' tool, to add customized drawings to your documents

  • How to add a text box on a Google Docs page to make certain text stand out

  • How to change the background color on Google Docs in 5 steps, to customize your documents

  • How to convert a Word document to a Google Doc on desktop or mobile

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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How to Add a Page Border in Google Docs

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-add-border-in-google-docs