Applying borders and fills lets you emphasize information, make it easier to read, and add visual appeal to a document.
The following image shows 1) a graphic, 2) a graphic to which a border was applied, 3) a graphic to which a border and a fill were applied, and 4) a graphic to which a border, fill, and drop shadow were applied.
In this section, you'll learn about
adding borders
editing borders
changing border space
changing the drop shadow
removing borders
applying fills
Adding borders
You can add a border around a graphics box, paragraph, column, or page.
To add a border to a graphics box
1 Right-click a graphics box, and click Border/fill.
2 Choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
To add a border to a paragraph
1 Click in a paragraph.
2 Click Format Paragraph Border/fill.
3 Choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
To apply the border only to the selected paragraph, enable the Apply border to current paragraph only check box.
Note
If you disable the Apply border to current paragraph only check box, the border surrounds the current paragraph and all subsequent paragraphs in the document.
To add a border to a column
1 Click in a column.
2 Click Format Columns.
3 Click Border/fill.
4 Choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
To apply the border only to the selected column, enable the Apply border to current column group only check box.
Note
If you disable the Apply border to current column group only check box the border surrounds the current column and all subsequent columns in the document.
To add a border to a page
1 Click a page.
2 Click Format Page Border/fill.
3 From the Border type list box, choose one of the following:
Line-lets you choose a border from the preset line borders
Fancy-lets you choose a border from the default Fancy borders folder
4 Choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
To apply the border only to the current page, click the Apply border to current page only check box.
Notes
If you disable the Apply border to current page only check box, the border will surround the current page and all subsequent pages in the document.
After you put a fancy border on a page, you can type text on the page as you usually would. However, the border doesn't change page margins. If you don't want to type over the border, you may need to move the page margins within the border.
Tip
To browse for fancy borders located in other folders, click Change folders, and in the Filename box, type the filename of the folder to open.
Editing borders
You can edit the border style for a graphics box, paragraph, column, or page. You can also change the roundness of a graphics box border or a page text border.
To edit the border of a graphics box
1 Right-click a graphic, and click Border/fill.
2 Choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
3 Open the Color picker, and click a color.
4 Open the Line style picker, and click a line style.
To edit the border of a paragraph
1 Click in a paragraph.
2 Click Format Paragraph Border/fill.
3 Choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
4 Open the Color picker, and click a color.
5 Open the Line style picker, and click a line style.
To edit the border of a column
1 Click in a column.
2 Click Format Columns.
3 Click Border/fill.
4 In the Column Border/fill dialog box, choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
5 Open the Color picker, and click a color.
6 Open the Line style picker, and click a line style.
To edit the border of a page
1 Click a page.
2 Click Format Page Border/fill.
3 Choose a border pattern from the Available border styles list.
4 Open the Color picker, and click a color.
5 Open the Line style picker, and click a line style.
If you want to adjust the spacing inside and outside the border, click the Advanced tab.
To change the roundness of a graphics box border
1 Right-click a graphic, and click Border/fill.
2 Click the Advanced tab.
3 Enable the Rounded corners check box.
Tip
You can also change the roundness of a graphics box border by typing a value in the Corner radius box. The number 0 specifies square corners. As the number increases, the corner becomes more rounded.
To change the roundness of a page text border
1 Click Format Page Border/fill.
2 Click the Advanced tab.
3 Enable the Rounded corners check box.
Tip
You can also change the roundness of a page text border by typing a value in the Corner radius box. The number 0 specifies square corners. As the number increases, the corner becomes more rounded.
Changing border space
You can change the border space for a graphics box, column, paragraph, or page border. Border space is the spacing between the border and the text surrounding the box, and between the border and the contents of the box.
To change the border space of a graphics box
1 Right-click a graphic, and click Border/fill.
2 Click the Advanced tab.
3 Click a spacing option on any of the following palettes
Inside
Outside
To change the border space for a column border
1 Click Format Columns.
2 Click Border/fill.
3 In the Column border/fill dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
4 Click a spacing option on any of the following palettes
Inside
Outside
To change the border space of a paragraph or page border
1 Click Format, and click one of the following:
Paragraph Border/fill-lets you change border space options for a paragraph
Page Border/fill-lets you change border space options for a page
2 Click the Advanced tab.
3 Click a spacing option on any of the following palettes
Inside
Outside
Changing the drop shadow
You can change the drop shadow for a graphics box border, column border, or for a paragraph or page border.
To change the drop shadow of a graphics box border
1 Right-click a graphic, and click Border/fill.
2 Click the Shadow tab.
3 Click a direction on the Direction of shadow palette.
4 Type a height in the Shadow height box.
5 Type a width in the Shadow width box.
6 Open the Color picker, and click a color.
To change the drop shadow for a column border
1 Click Format Columns.
2 Click Border/fill.
3 In the Column border/fill dialog box, click the Shadow tab.
4 Click a direction on the Direction of shadow palette.
5 Type a height in the Shadow height box.
6 Type a width in the Shadow width box.
7 Open the Color picker, and click a color.
To change the drop shadow of a paragraph or page border
1 Click Format, and click one of the following:
Paragraph Border/fill-lets you change drop shadow options for a paragraph
Page Border/fill-lets you change drop shadow options for a page
2 Click the Shadow tab.
3 Click a direction on the Direction of shadow palette.
4 Type a height in the Shadow height box.
5 Type a width in the Shadow width box.
6 Open the Color picker, and click a color.
Removing borders
You can remove a border from a graphics box, column, paragraph, or page.
To remove a border from a graphics box
1 Right-click a graphic, and click Border/fill.
2 Click Discontinue.
To remove a border from a column
1 Click a column border.
2 Click Format Columns Border/fill.
3 Click Discontinue.
To remove a border from a paragraph or page
1 Click a paragraph or page border.
2 Click Format, and click one of the following:
Paragraph Border/fill-lets you change border options for a paragraph
Page Border/fill-lets you change border options for a page
3 Click Discontinue.
Applying fills
You can add or edit a fill. You can add gradient fills to a graphics box, column, paragraph, or page.
To add or edit a fill
1 Right-click a graphic, and click Border/fill.
2 Click the Fill tab.
3 Choose a pattern from the Available fill styles list.
4 Click a color on any of the following palettes:
Foreground
Background
To add gradient fills to a graphics box
1 Right-click a graphic, and click Border/fill.
2 Click the Fill tab.
3 Click a color on any of the following palettes:
Foreground
Background
4 Click the Advanced tab.
5 Choose a type of fill from the Gradient list box.
You can also
Rotate the gradient Type a value in the Rotation angle box.
Change the placement of shadows within the gradient Type values in the Horizontal and Vertical offset boxes.
To add gradient fills for a column
1 Click Format Columns.
2 Click Border/fill,
3 In the Column border/fill dialog box, click the Fill tab.
4 Click a color on any of the following palettes:
Foreground
Background
5 Click the Advanced tab.
6 Choose a type of fill from the Gradient list box.
You can also
Rotate the gradient Type a value in the Rotation angle box.
Change the placement of shadows within the gradient Type values in the Horizontal and Vertical offset boxes.
To add gradient fills for a paragraph or page
1 Click Format, and click one of the following:
Paragraph Border/fill-lets you change gradient fill options for a paragraph
Page Border/fill-lets you change gradient fill options for a page
2 Click the Fill tab.
3 Click a color on any of the following palettes:
Foreground
Background
4 Click the Advanced tab.
5 Choose a type of fill from the Gradient list box.
You can also
Rotate the gradient Type a value in the Rotation angle box
Change the placement of shadows within the gradient Type values in the Horizontal and Vertical offset boxes.
