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How to Insert a Line in MS Word

By Sean Martin
Share to PinterestHow to Insert a Line in MS Word
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If you have ever wanted to know how to place a line in your Word documents, read on to learn how. This is sometimes a difficult task for some people because they are not familiar with the function of MS Word or they simply don't have the experience doing this. It is not a difficult technique, but it must be done precisely.

01

Positioning the Cursor

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First, place the cursor exactly where you want to insert the line. You can add a horizontal bar to get more precise. You'll be able to move it around to your liking and move it around your document as you choose. This is not difficult, but you should practice making sure the location you have selected is where the line should be placed. Placing the cursor is what you should do before you do anything else. If this is not done correctly, your line may be crooked or not professional-looking.

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02

Click the home tab.

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The home tab is a convenient shortcut that you can use to select the place where you want to locate the horizontal line tool. Once you have chosen the home tab, scroll down with the drop-down menu until you discover the "horizontal line" tool. This is the best place to start if you are using MS Office 2007 or later. Using this method is best if you are used to MS Office and prefer to use the shortcuts this platform has provided.

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03

Click the down arrow on the borders button.

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mapodile / Getty Images

This is another way to select the horizontal line tool. Just hit the borders option and go down and select "horizontal line" from the drop-down menu choices. If you have chosen the location with your cursor that we explained in step one, the line should appear magically within the specified space. If you practice this a few times, it should not be difficult to get it right.

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04

Select "horizontal line" from the inside pop-up box.

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Once you have completed the above steps, you will see a smaller box pop up in a window in front of you. Select "horizontal line" from the options there, and it will insert a horizontal line in your MS Word document. This process is simple if you have followed the above steps. This is simple enough for a child to do, too.

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05

Double-click to edit the line.

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If you need to edit the line, you will need to double-click the line to select it. There may be some reasons that you'll need to do this including adding visual breaks in your documents, drawing a custom line, adding multiple lines, and other options. Once the line is in your MS Word document, just select by double-clicking to edit. It is recommended that you practice editing as you will probably not get it exactly as you want it the first time. Practice makes perfect!

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06

Click and drag the line to move the object.

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If you need to move the horizontal line around, you can click and drag it to the position you prefer. Like many Windows options, the simple point-and-click operation of Windows task makes it easy to adjust, pull, change, and delete anything you are doing within MS Word documents at any time. Practice moving the line across the page to see where it is best featured and then add some other objects such as shapes if you so desire. Remember that the use of a horizontal line does not have to stand in isolation. It can be an excellent backdrop for other complex projects, too. Feel free to get creative and experiment with what it can do.

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07

Drag the borders to resize it.

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So you've got your horizontal line within your MS Word document, but you don't know if you like the size? No problem! Just click and drag the borders to resize it. This is also a very simple process and involves dragging the edges much in the same way you would do if you were editing a photo in Adobe Photoshop or other image editing program.

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08

Format the line.

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For further enhancement or additional editing, you can format the line. You do this by clicking the path until you see an orange pop-up window that says "drawing tools." This will allow you to format the string to choose a new color, border thickness, or other option within this menu. This method is sometimes preferred when a company wants to use a company logo within their MS Word document, and they want their horizontal line to match the company colors.

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09

Press and hold the shift key to keep it straight.

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An additional tip we can offer is to press and hold the "shift" key to keep it straight when you are drawing the line. If you do this, you will be able to have more control over the edge as you are placing it within the body of your document. This also allows even children to get more creative about the lines and shapes you draw within Word as you are working on improving the overall look of your document. This is worth the time you will put into it if you genuinely want your projects in MS Word to outshine your competition.

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10

Divide Word documents into sections.

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Finally, one thing you can use the horizontal line tool for is as a basis for changing the look of the entire document. For example, you can use the line tool to divide up your documents into sections that you can use for tables or other unique objects within the text. Once you have several lines drawn, you can tweak this and make it look quite professional for use with your newsletters or emails that you send out to potential customers. You can also use this to match a particular theme or to enhance your logo or other attributes of your communications.

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