When you write newsletters, magazines, or work for newspapers or magazines, you need to use columnar formatting to improve document organization and overall readability. Microsoft Word, the most popular word processing software, has several options for creating and managing columns. Here’s how to create columns in Microsoft Word on Windows and Mac.
You can add one, two, or three columns to subdivide your document for a specific document or report. You can also add custom column breaks to your liking. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Create columns in Microsoft Word on Windows
Microsoft offers feature-rich Office applications on Windows and Mac. The company uses an identical user interface on both platforms. We will be using Word for Windows in the screenshot below. You can do the same on Microsoft Word for Mac to create columns.
Step 1: Open any document on Microsoft Word for Windows or Mac.
Step 2: The default layout uses a single column for your document. Click Layout on the menu bar.
Step 3: Expand Columns. Choose One, Two, Three, Left or Right.
Microsoft Word quickly divides your document into related columns.
Customize columns in Microsoft Word
If you don’t like the default column width and spacing in Microsoft Word, you can create a custom based on your preferences. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Open the document in Microsoft Word and select Columns in the Layout menu (check the steps above).
Step 2: Select Add column.
Step 3: Check Presets at the top. Enter the column number.
Step 4: You can change the width and spacing and apply custom changes only to specific pages. Click Ok and check your columns are working.
Add column breaks in Microsoft Word
Some authors prefer to apply manual column breaks for a better reading experience. The aerial trick gives you control over the mast brake. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Open the Word document and hold the cursor where you want to create the column.
Step 2: Select Layout at the top. Expand Breaks.
Step 3: Select Columns and create a column that you want. You can check below screenshot for reference.
Delete columns in Microsoft Word
If you don’t like the column view in Microsoft Word, you can always revert to the standard page style. You can quickly press the Ctrl + Z keyboard shortcut to undo the column or use the steps below.
Step 1: Open your Word Document. Select Layout at the top of your document.
Step 2: Expand Columns and select One.
Microsoft Word reverts to the regular document style.
Enable text boundaries
This is another useful feature when printing documents in Microsoft Word. When you enable ‘Text Boundaries’ in Word, you will see dotted lines appear in the document to delimit text elements. You can check dotted lines around your text, headers, footers, and captions.
If you normally use ‘Print Layout View’, enable text boundaries.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Word and click File in the top left corner.
Step 2: Select Options.
Step 3: Open Advanced and scroll to ‘Show Document Body’. Turn on the ‘Show text boundaries’ toggle.
You can check below screenshot to check it working.
Create columns in Microsoft Word for tablets
The ability to create columns in Microsoft Word is available on mobile devices and tablets. However, the experience and features are not as rich as the desktop version. It is useful for people who are always on the go and want to make some last minute changes to the document. We will be using Microsoft Word for iPad in the screenshot below.
Step 1: Download the Microsoft 365 app on your tablet. Open the app and sign in with your Microsoft account details.
Step 2: Open a document and select Layout at the top.
Step 3: Expand Columns and select One, Two or Three.
Can you create columns in the web version of Microsoft Word
Unfortunately, you cannot create columns in the web version of Microsoft Word. You need to use native apps on your desktop or tablet to get the job done.
Create your perfect document on Microsoft Word
Not everyone likes the default site setting on Microsoft Word. You can also change the default page layout in Microsoft Word. How do you plan to use columns in Word? Share your preferences in the comments below.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
