WD: How to Create Ruling Lines or Blank Underlines in Word (145149)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0a
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0c
  • Microsoft Word for Windows NT 6.0
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95 7.0a
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0.1
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0.1a
  • Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q145149

SUMMARY

This article describes the most common methods for creating ruling lines or blank lines in a Microsoft Word document. These are useful if you are creating a form that will be printed and filled out with pen or pencil.

Five methods are described:

  • Paragraph Border Method
  • Table Border Method
  • Blank Space Method
  • Tab Leader Method
  • Draw Method

MORE INFORMATION

Paragraph Border Method

This method places a line (Border) under each line that has a paragraph mark (hard return).

  1. Select all the paragraphs to be underlined.
  2. On the Format menu, click Borders and Shading
  3. Click the Borders tab.
  4. Click to select the line style desired.
  5. Click to select the center and bottom borders in the sample (Preview area) of the dialog box.
  6. Click OK. Each line with a hard return should now have a border beneath it.
NOTE: Multiple blank paragraphs formatted this way can be placed in text boxes and positioned "underneath" the normal text area to form lines that are not affected by typing text; lines created using the Draw method are also not affected by typing text. To learn more about using text boxes type Text Boxes in the search area of the Help index.

Table Border Method

This method places a border on the bottom of the table cell. There will be a line under any text typed in the table cell. When text wraps to a second line, there will still only be a single border at the bottom of the cell.

  1. Place the insertion point on a blank line where you want the underlined text to appear.
  2. On the Table menu, click Insert Table.
  3. In the Number of Columns box, type 2. In the Number of Rows box, type 1.

    Click OK.

    A two-column, one-row table now appears at the insertion point.
  4. On the Table menu, click Select Table.
  5. On the Format menu, click Borders and Shading. Select the Borders tab.
  6. In the Style area, select the line style you want to use for the border.
  7. In the Border area, click the bottom of the example. Click OK.

Blank Space Method

With this method, you can underline one space at a time. Word does not normally underline blank spaces. The following instructions explain how to create non-breaking spaces, which Word will underline.

  1. Place the insertion point where you want the ruling line (underlining).
  2. On the Format menu, click Font. In the Underline list, select Single and click OK.
  3. For every blank space you want to underline, press CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR (Windows) or OPTION+SHIFT+SPACEBAR (Macintosh).
For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

97793 Underline Formatting Does Not Appear at End of Line

138273 How to Extend Form Field Underlines to a Fixed Point

Tab Leader Method

  1. Place the insertion point on the line where you want the underlining.
  2. On the Format menu, click Tabs.
  3. In the Tabs dialog box, click Clear All.
  4. Under Tab Stop Position, type a number that corresponds to the number of inches you want the line to extend from the left margin. (For example, 6.0 inches goes from margin to margin in a document with 1.25-inch left and right margins.)
  5. Under Alignment, click Right. Under Leader, select 4 (the underline).
  6. Click Set, and then click OK.
  7. Press the TAB key. A line extends from the insertion point to the tab created in step 4.
  8. Press ENTER to move to a blank line, and then press the TAB key again. Repeat this step as needed.
NOTE: Multiple blank paragraphs formatted this way can be placed in text boxes and positioned "underneath" the normal text area to form lines that are not affected by typing text; lines created using the Draw method are also not affected by typing text. To learn more about using text boxes type Text Boxes in the search area of the Help index.

Draw Method

  1. Click the Drawing button from the Standard toolbar, or click Toolbars on the View menu, click to select Drawing, and then click OK.
  2. Click the Line button on the Drawing toolbar.
  3. Place the pointer where you want the line to start. The mouse pointer is a crosshair (+).
  4. Click and hold the mouse button, and drag the line to the length you want.

    NOTE: Holding down the SHIFT key while drawing a line makes straight horizontal or vertical lines.

    NOTE: Holding down the ALT key (COMMAND key on Macintosh) while drawing a line prevents the line from snapping to the grid, and allows exact line placement.

    To turn off the snap to grid feature, click the Snap To Grid button on the Drawing toolbar (Word 6.x), or click Draw on the Drawing toolbar, and then Click Grid (Word 98 Macintosh Edition). Click to clear the Snap To Grid check box and then click OK.
  5. Repeat steps 1-4.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/17/2005
Keywords:kbformat kbhowto kbualink97 KB145149
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