Page Options in Microsoft Word
Orientation, Borders, and Shading

For this lesson you will modify a sign which you created in the last lesson. You will place a border around one line of text, place a border around the entire page, and add shading to selected text.

Step 1. Open Microsoft Word. Remember to leave your browser window open until this lesson is finished.

Step 2. Open a new blank document using keyboard commands

Step 3. Turn the document to landscape orientation, that makes the longest dimension the width of the page, not the depth. Go to the File menu, select Page Options, choose Orientation and select Landscape.

or

Step 3a. Open the Computer Rules document you created during the last lesson. If you did not save that document you can download one from the server.

Step 4. Place a border in the document. First we will place a border around just the title.

  • Highlight the title
  • Go to the Format menu and select Border..., and choose the Borders tab
  • Select the style, color and line thickness of your border. Click OK to place a border around the highlighted text.

Step 5. Next place a border around the entire page. Go to the Format menu and select Border..., and choose the Page Border tab.

In the middle of the Borders and Shading window, near the bottom of the window you will find a button which will allow you to put an artistic border around the entire page.

Step 6. Click on the down arrow to display the choices. Scroll through this list to find the one you prefer. There is a huge selection here. The graphic below illustrates only a portion of what is available:

(I turned this list on its side to take up less space on the page)
Step 7. Click OK when you have made your choice. This places the border around your document.

(No computers in the art borders!)
Step 8. Go to print preview using either the File menu or the Standard toolbar. Make a judgment regarding the appearance of your sign. Regarding the example above, I would make two changes: (1) the text is crowded on the left, and (2) there is too much empty space below the rules
  1. Crowded text - Solutions: center the text, tab each line over. (Do not use the space bar, tab!)
  2. Empty space - Solutions: increase font size, increase spacing between lines

(I selected center, and 1.5x spacing )
Step 9. As a finishing touch, use the highlight feature to stress one particular rule in the sign above. I want to call attention to the third rule.
  • Use the Highlight button in the Formatting toolbar by clicking on the down arrow to select a color
  • Use the Format menu, select Borders, choose the Shading tab in the Borders and Shading window, select a color.
Step 10. Print your masterpiece.