Insert Horizontal Lines
By Richard Rost

6 years ago

How to Add Horizontal Lines to your Microsoft Word Documents

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In this Microsoft Word TechHelp video tutorial, I will show you how to insert horizontal lines into your Microsoft Word documents. We will use AutoFormat lines (the "dash" trick), underscores, paragraph borders, the horizontal line object, and shapes.

Jennifer from Green Bay, Wisconsin (a Silver Member) asks: Is there an easy way to make horizontal lines in my documents? I know about the hyphen dashed line trick, but that goes all the way across the page. How about making a signature line?

Members

I'll show you how to work with all of the different line shape options (color, weight, dashes, shadowing, etc.). We'll create a "sticky paper" object with custom line borders and a yellow background. And you'll see how to add verticle lines between columns.

Extended Cut Video - Silver
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Links

Random Text Generator: http://jeffsum.com

Resources

FREE Word Level 1: https://599cd.com/Word1Free
Word Level 2 for $1.00: https://599cd.com/1Dollar
Word Forum: https://599cd.com/WordForum

Questions?

Please feel free to post your questions or comments below. Thanks.

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Intro

In this video, I will show you several ways to insert horizontal lines in your Microsoft Word documents. We'll look at AutoFormat shortcuts like using hyphens, underscores, and other symbols, creating signature and name lines, adding paragraph borders, inserting built-in horizontal lines, and using drawing shapes for custom lines. You'll learn some quick tips for signature lines and formatting lines for forms.

Transcript

Welcome to another TechHelp video brought to you by WordLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.

In today's video, I'm going to show you how to put horizontal lines in your Microsoft Word documents.

Today's question comes from Jennifer in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a Silver Member. Jennifer asks: Is there an easy way to make horizontal lines in my documents? I know about the hyphen dashed line trick, but that goes all the way across the page. How about making a signature line?

Well Jennifer, there are a couple of different ways you can create horizontal lines and vertical lines in Microsoft Word. Let me show you a few different tricks.

Here's a simple Word document with some random text brought to you by JeffSum.com. My buddy Alex sent that to me the other day as a link, and I thought it was hilarious.

Down toward the bottom, let's say I want to put a horizontal line here. Now the dashed trick that Jennifer is talking about means just hit a bunch of hyphens, at least three or more like that. Then when you press Enter, you get a horizontal line that goes all the way across the page.

That looks good, but that might not be what you're looking for. So I'm going to undo that. I'll hit my Undo button there, and that brings me back with my dashed line.

Now that little feature is called AutoFormat, and you can use it to create a bunch of different line styles from hyphens and underscores to the equal sign, asterisk, hashtags, and tildes. All of those, if you make a line of at least three of them in a row and press Enter, will create the corresponding line you see there.

If I don't want this guy, let me delete that. I could go with a bunch of hashtags, and then press Enter and get that fancy line. But I don't want that either, so I'm going to undo that, Control Z, undo. Then I'll get rid of that.

If you want to make a simple horizontal line, like for someone to sign something, you could say "Please sign here," like that. Now here's my trick. This is what I like to do. I like to use the underscore character. That's the Shift-hyphen key. So hold down the Shift key, press hyphen, and make a line out as long as you want it, maybe about there. Now when I press Enter, that AutoFormat is going to kick in and make that complete line across the page like that.

Hit undo now, Control Z, and it puts it back like that. Now I can type the person's name under here if you want to, Richard Rost, and I've got a signature line. If you want it closer than that, instead of using Enter, back up and use Shift+Enter. That'll give you a line break instead of a paragraph break, and it's much tighter like that.

If you want to put an X in front of it, you can just click over here, put an X like that, and make it bigger. I'm using the Control+right bracket on my keyboard to increase the font size, and there you go.

If you want to make name blanks, let's get rid of this stuff. Let's say you want to do something like this. First name: and then press Tab. Just use the underscore character like that. That's one of the easiest ways to do it. There are lots of other ways. There are better ways, but this is a nice, simple, easy way, and it's just fine.

Last name: and then underscores. Try to get them to match up. Copy and paste if you want to. There's nothing wrong with this method.

Let's get rid of this stuff here. Delete.

You can also insert horizontal lines by using this guy. On the Paragraph group, it says Borders. Click on that button, and that puts basically a bottom border under this paragraph. You can also use the same button to put a top border, a left border, and a right border. Now you can type stuff in here, and you basically have a border around that entire paragraph.

If you want just horizontal lines around it, you can turn the left border and the right border off, and you get that. Those are paragraph borders right there.

There's also an option - let me get rid of this stuff - there's also an option in here to insert a horizontal line right there. That's a different kind of horizontal line. That's not a paragraph border. Once you insert that, you can double-click on it, and you can see some different options in here. You can left, center, or right it. You can change the color, the shade. For example, one blue. There you go.

Let's get rid of that guy. Click on it, hit delete on the keyboard.

One more way you can insert a line is to use a shape. Go to Insert, and then under Shapes, you'll see lines right here. There's a regular line. There's a line with an arrow. There are all kinds of lines down here, squiggly lines - you name it. I'll just do a regular line. Click and drag wherever you want it to be, like right there. Now you can click on it and get all kinds of different options up here. I cover these in my full classes.

Those are the basic ways you can create horizontal and even vertical lines in your Word documents. Stick around for the extended cut for members only. I will show you how to create fancy lines, like a red dashed line with shadowing. I'll also show you how to insert automatic lines between columns if you know how to use columns.

How do you become a member? Click on the Join button below the video. Silver Members and up get access to all of my extended cut TechHelp videos, live video and chat sessions, and lots of other perks.

After you click the Join button, you'll see a list of all the different membership levels that are available, and the perks associated with each one.

But don't worry, these TechHelp videos will keep coming. As long as you keep watching them, I'll keep making them, and they'll always be free.

If you enjoyed this video, be sure to give me a like and share. Make sure you click on the Subscribe button and choose All to get notified whenever I post any new videos.

Make sure you click the Show More button down below the video, below the description. You'll see lots of additional links and resources down there.

If you have not yet tried my free Word Level 1 course, visit my website now, there's the link, and sign up. It's a free hour-long course on all the basics of Microsoft Word, and it's absolutely free. If you like Level 1, you can sign up for Level 2 for just one dollar. That's another complete hour-long video for just a dollar.

If you would like to see your question answered in a video just like this one, visit my TechHelp page, and you can post your question there.

Look for me on Facebook, Twitter, and of course YouTube.

Once again, my name is Richard Rost with WordLearningZone.com. Thanks for learning with me, and I'll see you next time.

Quiz

Q1. What is the AutoFormat feature in Microsoft Word used for in relation to horizontal lines?
A. It automatically formats paragraphs into headings
B. It automatically creates page breaks with hyphens
C. It creates various types of lines when you type certain characters and press Enter
D. It converts text into tables automatically

Q2. What happens when you type three or more hyphens in a row and press Enter in Word?
A. You get a broken, dashed line in the middle of the page
B. A horizontal line appears that goes all the way across the page
C. The text turns bold
D. A vertical line appears

Q3. Which characters, when typed three or more in a row and then pressing Enter, will create different styles of horizontal lines using AutoFormat?
A. Only hyphens
B. Only underscores
C. Hyphens, underscores, equals signs, asterisks, hashtags, tildes
D. Only equal signs

Q4. For creating a simple signature line, which character does the instructor recommend using?
A. Hyphen (-)
B. Tilde (~)
C. Hash (#)
D. Underscore (_)

Q5. What key combination does the instructor suggest for a line break that keeps text closer to the signature line?
A. Enter
B. Shift+Enter
C. Alt+Enter
D. Control+Enter

Q6. What is one way to quickly create name blanks for forms in Word?
A. Drawing rectangles manually
B. Typing underscores after the label and tabbing over
C. Using dashed lines
D. Creating a table

Q7. Which tab group in Microsoft Word contains the Borders option for adding horizontal or other borders to a paragraph?
A. Home - Clipboard
B. Home - Paragraph
C. Insert - Tables
D. Review - Comments

Q8. What is the difference between inserting a horizontal line from the Borders button and using Insert > Horizontal Line?
A. There is no difference, they are identical
B. Borders creates paragraph borders, Insert > Horizontal Line creates a distinct line object with customizable properties
C. Borders only inserts lines at the side, not across
D. Insert > Horizontal Line automatically adds a caption

Q9. After inserting a horizontal line using Insert > Horizontal Line, what can you do to the line?
A. Only change its length
B. Double-click to customize alignment, color, and shade
C. Add text on top of it
D. Convert it into a table

Q10. How can you add a custom line anywhere in your Word document that can be moved or edited?
A. Type a series of tildes
B. Use Shapes from the Insert tab to draw a line
C. Use the Font dialog box
D. Change the page layout margins

Q11. What is the key combination for increasing font size used by the instructor when editing form elements?
A. Control+left bracket
B. Alt+Shift+S
C. Control+right bracket
D. Alt+Enter

Q12. How can you join Richard Rost's membership to get extended cut videos and additional perks?
A. Visit his Facebook page
B. Click the Join button below the YouTube video
C. Send an email
D. Subscribe to his blog

Answers: 1-C; 2-B; 3-C; 4-D; 5-B; 6-B; 7-B; 8-B; 9-B; 10-B; 11-C; 12-B

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Word Learning Zone focuses on how to add horizontal lines to your Microsoft Word documents. This topic was prompted by a question from a student who wanted to know about easy ways to insert lines, specifically for items like signature lines, and not just the standard lines that extend across the entire page.

Creating horizontal lines in Word offers quite a few options. One common and quick way is using the AutoFormat feature. If you type at least three of certain characters in a row, like hyphens, underscores, equal signs, asterisks, hashtags, or tildes, and then press Enter, Word automatically converts them into horizontal lines in various styles. For instance, entering three or more hyphens and hitting Enter produces a standard horizontal line. If you use hashtags, you get a fancier version. You can always use the Undo function if you want to remove a line you just created.

For signature lines, my preferred method is to type the text, such as "Please sign here," followed by holding Shift and pressing the hyphen key to produce a row of underscores. Entering three or more underscores and pressing Enter triggers AutoFormat so the line stretches across the page. If you prefer more control and need the line to be closer to your text, use Shift + Enter instead of Enter to create a line break rather than a full paragraph break. This keeps everything more compact. You can add an X at the beginning if you need a traditional signature marker. To adjust the size of the X or any text, simply change the font size as needed.

For filling in blanks, like first and last name lines, you can write something like "First name:" and then use underscores to form a blank where someone can write their answer. Repeat this for "Last name," or any other label. This method is simple and effective for creating quick fill-in forms.

Another built-in approach makes use of the Paragraph Borders tool in the Paragraph group on the ribbon. By adding a bottom border, you can place a horizontal line under a paragraph. You can also turn on other borders, like top, left, or right, to create a full box around your text, or remove borders to achieve the style you want. This method allows for flexible formatting directly within your document.

Additionally, Word includes a menu option for inserting a horizontal line directly. This type of line differs from paragraph borders in that it acts as a distinct graphical element. After inserting, you can double-click the line to adjust its alignment, color, and shading, letting you customize how it looks.

A final option is to use drawing tools. Under the Insert tab, you can select Shapes and draw different kinds of lines, including straight, arrowed, or even decorative lines. After you place your line, you have various formatting options to choose from, allowing you to further personalize your document.

Those are some of the main ways to add both horizontal and vertical lines to your documents in Word. In today's Extended Cut, I will demonstrate more advanced techniques such as creating custom lines with special formatting, like red dashed lines with shadows, as well as how to automatically insert lines between columns if you are familiar with Word's column features.

If you want to find out how to become a member and access extended tutorial content, you can check out the information about membership levels and perks on my website. Silver Members and above receive additional benefits, including live video and chat sessions, plus all extended cut videos. However, everyone can continue to watch the regular TechHelp videos for free.

For those interested in more learning, I offer a free Word Level 1 course on my website, which covers the basics. If you enjoy it, you can sign up for the Level 2 course for just one dollar. If you have questions you would like answered in future videos, there is a page where you can submit them.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Creating horizontal lines using the hyphen dashed line trick
Using AutoFormat to create different line styles
Making a signature line with underscores
Using Shift+Enter for a tighter line break
Adding an X before a signature line and formatting it
Creating name blanks with underscores
Inserting horizontal lines using the Borders tool
Applying paragraph borders (top, bottom, left, right)
Inserting a horizontal line from the Borders menu
Customizing inserted horizontal lines (alignment, color, shade)
Inserting lines using the Shapes tool
Drawing and formatting shapes as lines in Word