Creating Enhanced Borders

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When you want to create a border that has a more dramatic look than a simple line, you can take matters into your own hands using the Borders And Shading dialog box. By setting the options in this dialog box, you can choose a variety of looks for your border (including 3D and shadow effects) and change the style, color, and width of the lines you use. You can also create partial borders by selecting only the line segments you want to display.

To create a customized border, begin by placing the insertion point where you want the border to begin or by selecting the data around which you want to create the border. Then choose Format, Borders And Shading. The Borders And Shading dialog box appears as shown in Figure 18-2.

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Figure 18-2: The Borders And Shading dialog box enables you to specify border types and border placement as well as line styles, colors, and widths.

Word offers some basic border settings that you can use, although you can create an almost unlimited number of combinations by adjusting the style, color, width, line, and shading settings. The borders Setting option is the first major choice you'll probably make when you use the Borders And Shading dialog box. This option controls the overall look of the border itself. The Setting options vary depending on whether you're working in a table or with standard text. If you're working with standard text, you can choose from the following Setting options:

  • None Shows no border around selected text and objects. This is the default.

  • Box Encloses the selection in a simple line box.

  • Shadow Outlines the selection with a box and adds a drop shadow below and to the right of the selection.

  • 3-D Creates a three-dimensional effect for the selected border, making it appear to "stand out" from the page.

  • Custom Enables you to configure the Preview area so you can choose and customize the line segments you want to include in your border.

If you're working with a table or cells, you can choose among the following Setting options:

  • None Shows no border around the table or selected cells.

  • Box Encloses the table or selected cells in a simple line box without internal lines.

  • All Outlines the entire table or selected cells, including borders between cells. This is the default.

  • Grid Outlines a table or selected cells with a heavier exterior border and lighter interior borders.

  • Custom Enables you to configure the Preview area so that you can choose and customize the line segments you want to include in your border.

    Tip 

    Mix and match borders  You can mix and match border types to achieve the effect you want. For example, you can add borders to part of a table and hide borders in other parts to create the appearance of advanced layouts. You can further combine border options, such as color and line widths, to make borders visually appealing.

To apply one of the Setting options shown in the Borders And Shading dialog box, click in the paragraph, table, image, or other element that you want to format or select text or cells. Next, display the Borders And Shading dialog box, and then click the Setting selection in the Borders tab. If you don't want to make any additional customizations, you can simply click OK to return to your document. The border will be added to the current text, table, or selected object. If the cursor was positioned in a new blank paragraph before the Borders And Shading dialog box was displayed, the border will appear around the insertion point and will expand as you type, including added paragraphs, images, tables, and other elements. To end the expansion of the border, either click outside the formatted area or press Enter at the end of the formatted area, and then format the new blank paragraph marker using the No Border setting on the Border button.

Tip 

Undo or remove a border  If you add a border and decide you really don't like it, you can do away with it immediately by choosing Edit, Undo or pressing Ctrl+Z. You can also choose Format, Borders And Shading, and then select a different border type, or select the No Border option or the existing border format on the Border button to clear or toggle the border lines off.

Troubleshooting: The changes I made to the borders in my table disappeared

start example

If you change the border or shading of a table and discover that when you close the Borders And Shading dialog box the changes you specified weren't made, it could be because the table's formatting marks weren't selected properly before you applied formatting options. To avoid this problem, click Show/Hide on the Standard toolbar to display all the formatting characters in your document before you apply formatting. Then select the table, making sure to include the end-of-cell marks at the ends of the rows. Next, choose Format, Borders And Shading to display the Borders And Shading dialog box, and then enter your settings. Because the table formatting marks are included, the changes should stick after you close the Borders And Shading dialog box.

end example

Selecting Line Styles for Borders

Word provides 24 line styles you can use to create border effects. From simple, straight lines to dotted, double, and triple lines, a variety of looks can be created by changing line styles. Figure 18-3 shows a few examples of borders created with different line styles.

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Figure 18-3: The line style you choose has a dramatic effect on the overall look of a border.

To choose a line style for a border, display the Borders And Shading dialog box and select a line style in the Style list in the Borders tab. The Preview section shows the effect of your choices. Set any other border choices you want, and then click OK. The document is updated with your changes.

Troubleshooting: There's not enough contrast in my double line

start example

If you create a double line and can't see enough contrast between lines of different weights, you can play around with the line widths to get a better contrast. Start by clicking in or selecting the area with the border and choosing Format, Borders And Shading to display the Borders And Shading dialog box. In the Width list, choose a new line width setting, and then click the line you want to change in the Preview section in the dialog box.

end example

Choosing Color

When you first start adding lines and borders to your publication, Word selects black by default. But you have all the colors of Word at your disposal, so you can get as colorful as your needs and presentation medium allow. To specify border colors, follow these steps:

  1. Click in or select the elements you want to format with border colors. If the content already has a border and you only want to color the existing lines, you can retain the current border and simply apply a color setting to the existing border settings.

  2. Choose Format, Borders And Shading.

  3. In the Borders tab, select a Setting option and line style if you're creating a new border. If you're working with an existing border, you can make changes if desired.

  4. Click the Color arrow. The color palette appears, as shown in Figure 18-4.

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    Figure 18-4: You can use the color palette to select a color for lines and shading.

  5. Click the color you want to use from the color palette, or, if you don't see the color you were hoping for, click More Line Colors. The Colors dialog box appears so that you can find the color you're looking for. Click the color you want. If you're creating a new border, the color setting will be reflected in the Preview area immediately. If you're adjusting the color setting for an existing border, you will need to click each line in the Preview area to apply the color setting. In this way, you can control the line color for each border line.

  6. Click OK. The color settings are applied in your document, and the Line Style list box on the Tables And Borders Toolbar displays the selected line style and color.

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When You Need to Match Colors Exactly

Suppose that you're using Word to create a Web page or document that has to conform to last year's departmental annual report, right down to the color scheme. When you need to match colors, choosing accurate border colors can become an important issue. For times like these, you can use the Custom tab in the Colors dialog box to enter the exact RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) or HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Luminance) color percentages for custom colors. To configure the Custom tab in the Colors dialog box for borders, perform the following steps:

  1. Choose Format, Borders And Shading.

  2. Display the Color menu, and then click More Line Colors on the color palette.

  3. Click the Custom tab, choose RGB, HSL, or another available color scheme in the Color Model list.

  4. Enter values in the Red, Green, and Blue text boxes, or enter values in the Hue, Sat, and Lum text boxes.

  5. Click OK to close the Colors dialog box, finish configuring your border settings, and then click OK in the Borders And Shading dialog box to apply the custom color.

end sidebar

Tip 

Pick the best colors for borders  The trick to selecting effective colors for a document's text, images, table borders, lines, shading, and other components is to work with a color scheme that consists of three or four main colors that complement the document's design and provide appropriate contrast. After you identify a color scheme, you can play with the colors a little to add interest. For instance, if headings are dark blue, you might consider using the same blue or a slightly lighter shade of the same blue for borders and lines. In addition, document design often benefits from a consistent use of color across the board for similar design elements. For instance, in a magazine or newsletter, all sidebars might be placed in a green box while quotations appear in yellow boxes. That way, when readers see "green" they know they're about to read a sidebar and when they see "yellow," they recognize that they're reading a quotation. Color used wisely can greatly increase the readability and eye appeal of a publication.

Controlling Border Width

When you create a simple border, the default line width is ½ point, which is a simple, thin line. If you want to create a more dramatic effect-whether you leave the line black or add color-you can change the width of the line. To change the line width, display the Borders And Shading dialog box, click the Width arrow, and then click the width you want. Available point sizes include ¼, ½, ¾, 1, 1 ½, 2 ¼, 3, 4 ½, and 6.

Tip 

Create a special effect with separator lines  You can use line widths to create a special effect for partial borders. For example, to add a wide line above and below content, select the area you want to enclose between the lines, choose Format, Borders And Shading, and then click the Custom Setting option. Select a line style, click the Width arrow, and then choose a larger point size, such as 3 pt. In the Preview section, click the top horizontal edge of the preview page. A line is added to the top border. Next, click the bottom horizontal edge of the preview page, and then click OK. Word adds the thick line border above and below the selected area.



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Microsoft Office Word 2003 Inside Out
Microsoft Office Word 2003 Inside Out (Bpg-Inside Out)
ISBN: 0735615152
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 373

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