How to Make Columns in Word With Lines Between Them

To make columns in Word with a vertical divider, open Layout > Columns > More Columns, choose two or more columns, check Line between, and select where the layout should apply. This creates a newspaper-style layout; use a section break first if only part of the document should have columns.

What You’ll Need

A desktop version of Microsoft Word, such as Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac. The full Columns dialog provides the clearest access to the divider-line setting.
Text to arrange in columns, or a blank document where you can set up the layout before typing.
Optional: a saved copy of the document, especially if it already contains carefully formatted sections.

Step-by-Step

Open your document and identify where columns should appear. If the entire document should use columns, you can apply the setting without selecting text. If only a newsletter article, invitation, or other portion should be columned, decide exactly where that section begins and ends. Word applies column settings to sections, so defining the boundaries helps prevent the layout from affecting nearby content.
Set up section boundaries when only part of the page should use columns. Click at the beginning of the text that should become columns, then choose Layout > Breaks > Continuous. Add another continuous section break after the last text that belongs in columns. Click inside the section between those breaks before changing its column settings. A continuous break starts a new section without forcing the next section onto a new page. If you select a block of existing text and apply columns directly, Word may create section breaks around that selection; explicit breaks make the boundaries easier to see and manage.
Open the full Columns settings. Click in the section you want to format. On the Windows ribbon, choose Layout > Columns > More Columns. In some older Word releases, the tab is called Page Layout. In Word for Mac, use Layout > Columns > More Columns; the dialog labels can vary slightly by release, but look for the Columns dialog rather than choosing a preset alone.
Choose the number of columns. In the Columns dialog, choose Two for the usual newsletter layout or select another preset. You can also enter a number in Number of columns. The divider appears between adjacent columns, so a one-column layout has no column gap to divide. For a typical page, two columns are often easiest to read; three or more can make paragraphs feel cramped unless the page is wide or the text is brief.
Turn on the divider. Check Line between. If the option is unavailable, first choose at least two columns. This is a layout divider, not a border applied to the page or a line typed into the text. Word draws it in the space between the columns. It normally follows the column layout rather than behaving like a shape that you can drag to an arbitrary position.
Set column widths and spacing if needed. Leave Equal column width selected for a balanced layout, or clear it to adjust individual column widths and the space between them. A little gap keeps text from appearing crowded against the divider. If you need a wider first column for an introduction or a narrow side column, use the width and spacing fields, then check that the remaining columns still have enough room for comfortable reading.
Choose what the change applies to, then confirm. In Apply to, choose This section if you created section breaks, or select the appropriate option for the text or document in your dialog. If you intended to change only highlighted text, verify that Word has not applied the setting to the whole document. Click OK and review the result in Print Layout view. If you are unsure, use Undo immediately and reopen the dialog with the correct section active.
Check the text flow and finish the layout. Word fills the first column and then continues into the next. To start a new column at a particular sentence, place the cursor there and choose Layout > Breaks > Column. Add headings, images, and paragraph spacing after the basic columns work, then inspect the page again: those elements can change where text flows and how the line appears alongside the content.
Return later content to one column if necessary. If the document should switch back to a full-width layout, place the cursor where the columned section ends, insert a continuous section break if one is not already there, and click in the following section. Choose Layout > Columns > One. Keep the divider setting within the multi-column section; changing the wrong section can alter the earlier layout as well.

Common Mistakes

Choosing a preset instead of opening More Columns. The preset menu can quickly make two columns, but it does not always make the divider setting obvious. Open the full dialog and check Line between to confirm that the line is enabled.

Formatting the whole document by accident. If you apply columns while the cursor is in a section with no boundaries, Word can change the layout much more broadly than intended. Use continuous section breaks around a portion that needs a different layout, click inside that section, and confirm the Apply to choice.

Using repeated spaces or a typed vertical bar. A string of spaces, tabs, or keyboard characters may look like a divider on one screen, but it can move when fonts, margins, or text change. Use the actual Line between option so the divider stays part of the column layout.

Confusing columns with a table. Word columns flow text down one column and then into the next. A table keeps content in separate cells on the same row. If you need precise side-by-side blocks that should not flow into each other, a table may be more suitable than newspaper-style columns.

Tips

Turn on formatting marks while setting up a complicated layout. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8; on Mac, press Command+8. You can also click the paragraph mark button on the Home tab. The visible section-break labels make it easier to spot where a column layout begins or ends. Click the button or use the shortcut again to hide the marks; they do not print.

Use a column break instead of pressing Enter repeatedly when you want a heading or paragraph to begin at the top of the next column. Repeated blank paragraphs are fragile: editing text above them can push the content out of place. A column break gives Word a clear instruction to continue in the next column.

Keep the divider subtle and leave adequate space around it. If the columns are too narrow, the line can look dominant and paragraphs may wrap into short, awkward fragments. Adjust the gap and column widths in the Columns dialog rather than trying to move the divider with spaces. Check the page at normal reading size and in print preview, because a layout that looks acceptable at high zoom may feel crowded on paper.

For a one-page flyer, consider whether every paragraph needs to flow between columns. If a title should span the full page while the body uses columns, place the title in a separate one-column section, then use continuous section breaks to isolate the body. A section break is different from a page break: it can change layout without always starting a new page. Save after the layout is stable so you can return to a clean version if later edits move the breaks.

Troubleshooting

The vertical line does not appear. Open Layout > Columns > More Columns while your cursor is in the affected section. Confirm that there are at least two columns and that Line between is checked. Also check that the dialog is applying the setting to the section you are viewing. If you are looking at a page outside that section, the line will not appear there.

The whole document changed to columns. Undo if the change was just made. Otherwise, use continuous section breaks to isolate the columned portion, click inside that section, and set Apply to to This section. Add or correct a section break after the columned text and set the next section to one column if needed. With formatting marks visible, confirm that the breaks are in the intended places.

The line appears, but text does not move into the second column. Columns do not put separate text boxes side by side; Word flows content from the first column to the next as it reaches the bottom. If the amount of text is too short to fill the first column, the second may remain empty. To control the starting point, insert a column break where the next column should begin. Check for a page break, section break, large image, or empty paragraphs that may be affecting the flow.

The columns look uneven or a heading lands in the wrong place. Remove extra blank paragraphs and check whether a manual column break is forcing the flow. Adjust paragraph spacing or insert a deliberate column break at a better position. Word balances column text at the end of a section in some layouts, so adding or removing a section break can also change the final arrangement. Make one adjustment at a time and review the page after each change.

The settings seem missing on a phone or in Word for the web. Open the file in the desktop version of Word for Windows or Mac and use the full Columns dialog. The location and availability of layout controls can vary in browser and mobile editions. If someone else will edit the file in a different version, check the document on that version before sharing it as final.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a line between just two columns?
Yes. Open Layout > Columns > More Columns, choose two columns, and check Line between. Set the option to apply to the section containing those columns if other pages should remain unchanged.

Can I make columns with a line on only one page?
Yes. Insert continuous section breaks before and after the page content, then apply the column setting to the section between them. If the content runs onto another page, the columns can continue there, so adjust the text or section boundaries if you need a strict one-page result.

Can I change the divider line’s color or thickness?
The Line between control creates a standard divider as part of the column layout; it does not offer the same direct line-formatting controls as a drawn shape. If a custom-colored or unusually thick rule is essential, a shape or table border may be a better choice, but it can require extra positioning and maintenance.

How do I keep a heading across the full page above the columns?
Put the heading in a one-column section and the body in a separate multi-column section. Use a continuous section break between them, then apply columns only to the body section. This lets the heading use the full text width while the article below it flows through columns.

Will the divider print?
It is part of the document layout and is intended to appear with the columns in the printed document. Check File > Print or Print Preview before printing, particularly if the document uses unusual margins, a custom page size, or a printer that cannot print close to the page edge.

Does this work in Word for Mac?
Yes. In current desktop versions, use Layout > Columns > More Columns and enable Line between. The dialog may look slightly different from Windows. On Mac, the formatting-marks shortcut is Command+8; on Windows it is Ctrl+Shift+8.

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