Adding borders and shading (Word 2007, 2010)

Adding borders and shading

• You can display a border around a paragraph to add more impact to that paragraph.  You can also add shading.  To emphasize a paragraph you could reverse the normal colour display, so that text within that paragraph is displayed as white text on a black background.

Adding a border

• Open a document called Borders and shading.

• Click within the header (containing the words Computer Memory).

• Within the Paragraph section on the Home tab, click on the Down arrow to the right of the Border icon.  This will display a drop down list from which you can select the type of border you wish to apply.  In this case select the Outside Borders command. 

A border will be applied around this paragraph. 

• Click within the next paragraph.  Apply a bottom border to this paragraph.  Click on the Undo icon to remove this border.  Experiment with applying some of the other border types (after each time click on the Undo icon).

Modifying your borders

• Click within a paragraph which does not have a border applied to it.  Within the Paragraph section on the Home tab, click on the Down arrow to the right of the Border icon.  From the list displayed, select the Borders and Shading command.    This will display the Borders and Shading dialog box. 

  You can use this dialog box to change the shading setting, style, colour and width. 

• From the Setting section of the dialog select the 3-D. Use the Style section of the dialog to select a different border style.

• Click on the down arrow to the right of the Color section to display a list of colours.  Select a colour. 

• Click on the down arrow to the right of the Width section to display a list of widths.  Select a width.

• Click on the OK button to close the dialog box and apply the border.

Adding shading

• Click within a paragraph.

• Within the Paragraph section on the Home tab, click on the Down arrow to the right of the Shading icon.  This will display a drop down list from which you can select the colour of the shading you wish to apply.  

• Click on the Undo button and apply a different colour of shading.  TIP: Try applying Black shading.      As you are applying black shading to be used as a background for black text, you might expect the text to become invisible (i.e. black text on a black background).  In fact Microsoft Word automatically reverses the text colour in this case so that you see white text on a black background.

Modifying your shading

• Click within a paragraph.  Within the Paragraph section on the Home tab, click on the Down arrow to the right of the Shading icon.  From the list displayed, select the More Colors command.

• Select a colour and then click on the OK button.

Applying borders to selected text

• You can apply borders and shading to an entire paragraph.  However if you select a word or portion of text within a paragraph, then you can apply border and shading to just the selected text.  Try experimenting with selecting words or sentences within your document and apply border and shading effect.

• Save your changes and close the document.