How to Create Awesome Divider Lines in Microsoft Word (Easy!)

Divider lines are a simple yet powerful way to make your Microsoft Word documents more organized and visually appealing. Whether you’re working on a report, flyer, or resume, adding a stylish divider line can help separate sections and make your content easier to read. Here’s a quick and easy guide to creating awesome divider lines in Microsoft Word.

Step 1: Use the keyboard shortcut.

A keyboard shortcut is one of the easiest ways to create a divider line in Microsoft Word. Here are some common shortcuts you can use:

1. Dashes (“-“): Type three dashes in a row (---) and press Enter. This will create a simple horizontal line.
2. Underscores (“_”): Type three underscores (___) and press Enter. This will create a thicker horizontal line.
3. Asterisks (“*”): Type three asterisks (***) and press Enter. This will create a dotted line.
4. Equal signs (“=”): Type three equal signs (===) and press Enter. This will create a double line.
5. Hash symbols (“#”): Type three hash symbols (###) and press Enter. This will create a bold line.

These shortcuts automatically convert the characters into a full-width line that spans the entire page, making it quick and effortless to add dividers.

Step 2: Add a personalized divider line.

Do you still want a different kind of divider line? No problem, you can just insert it:

1. Head to the “Insert” tab. On the top bar of the screen, find the “Insert” tab.
2. Click on “Shapes”: Use the “Illustrations” group to click on “Shapes” and narrow it down to Line.
3. Draw the Line: With a cursor, click on the place where you want to start the line and drag to the direction where you want to end it.
4. Adjust the Line: A simple line can also be adjusted by clicking on it then going to “Format Shape.” This part allows you to change the color, weight, and style, among others.

Step 3: Use the “Borders” Tool

Another method for adding divider lines is using the “Borders” tool:

1. Highlight the text: Place your cursor where you want the line to appear or highlight the text above which you want the divider.
2. Go to the “Home” tab. Click on the “Home” tab in the ribbon.
3. Click on “Borders”: In the “Paragraph” group, click on the “Borders” dropdown menu (it looks like a square with lines).
4. Select “Horizontal Line”: Choose “Horizontal Line” from the dropdown. This will insert a line at your cursor’s position.

You can further customize this line by right-clicking on it and choosing “Format Horizontal Line.”

Step 4: In this step, use any of the predesigned dividers that are available online. 

Creativity seems limited to many; in this case, one can always download pre-designed divider images and embed them in the Word document. 

• Find a Design: Many graphic design websites or even regular Google searches should present free divider lines.
• Insert the image: The first step is to save the image on your computer; after this, it will be a matter of going to “Insert” > “Pictures” and choosing the divider image. 
• Adjust the Size: After inserting, one can resize and move the divider image to accommodate the document.

Conclusion

Believe it or not, it’s quite easy to add some great divider lines in Microsoft Word. Use keyboard shortcuts, or insert them with a few strokes of the mouse with the “Shapes” tool, and the improvement of documents becomes quite simple. Have fun using the different features and designs and make your documents unique out there!