Word Column Creation Guide

[nerdslife_team]

Formatting your text into columns in Microsoft Word can really boost your document’s layout and readability. Here’s a quick guide on how to set up and tweak columns for your specific needs.

Creating Columns in Word

There are a couple of ways to achieve this, let’s break them down.

Method 1: Quick Column Setup

1. Open your Word document or start a new one. Head over to the Layout tab on the ribbon.
   

   

2. In the Page Setup section, click on the Columns icon to see your column options.
   

   

3. Choose the number of columns you want from the dropdown - one, two, or three. The Left and Right options create uneven columns where one side is wider than the other. For more than three columns, select More Columns…
   

   

4. In the Columns window, enter the desired number of columns in the Number of columns field, then hit OK.
   

   

Your text will automatically adjust to fit the number of columns. If you’re starting a fresh document, the text will flow into the columns as you type.

Method 2: Custom Column Width and Spacing

Sometimes, you need more control over your columns’ size and spacing.

1. Go to the Layout tab, click Columns, then choose More Columns…

2. In the Columns dialog, set the number of columns you want. Adjust the Width and Spacing values to your liking, then click OK.
   

   

3. By default, columns will have equal widths based on the values you enter.

4. If you want different column widths, uncheck the Equal column width option in the Columns window. Now you can enter custom widths for each column before clicking OK.
   

   

Applying Columns to a Section or Point

Want columns only in a specific part of your document? Here’s how:

1. Place your cursor where you want the columns to start. Go to the Layout tab, click Columns, and then select More Columns…

2. In the Columns window, specify the number of columns.

3. Next to the Apply to: option, click the dropdown. Choose This point forward to apply columns from your current cursor position onwards, or This section for a specific part of your document. Click OK to apply.
   

   

Enabling Text Boundaries

Text boundaries can help you see your layout more clearly.

1. Click on the File tab.
   

   

2. From the left-hand menu, select Options to open the Word Options window.
   

   

3. In the Word Options window, go to the Advanced tab.
   

   

4. Scroll down to the Show document content section. Check the box next to Show text boundaries, then click OK.
   

   

Now, dotted lines will show you the text areas, making it easier to differentiate between columns and paragraphs.