2 Quick Ways to Add Columns in Microsoft Word

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Create and insert invisible columns on Word

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: August 10, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Desktop

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Using the Mobile App

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Video

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Q&A

Do you want your Word document to have columns like a newspaper or magazine? You can add multiple columns to format your text. As you type, the text will divide itself with a line down the middle. Here's how to add columns in Microsoft Word using your computer, iPhone, iPad, or Android.

Quick Steps

Open Microsoft Word.
Click the Layout tab.
Click Columns.
Select a column option.
To set custom columns, click More Columns.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Desktop

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1
Open a document in Microsoft Word. The app icon resembles a blue background with a white "W" on top.^{[1]
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- Microsoft Word is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can also use Word on the web at https://www.office.com/.
It's at the top of the Word window, to the right of the Home, Insert, and Design tabs.

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You can find this in the Page Setup section. A drop-down menu will open.
4
Select a column option. Doing so will apply invisible columns to your document; as you type, you'll notice that your text jumps to a new line before reaching the standard right-most margin. Once you reach the bottom of the page, your text will continue in the next column until you reach the bottom of the page again, and so on.
- One - Default setting for Word documents.
- Two - Splits the page into two distinct columns.
- Three - Splits the page into three distinct columns.
- Left - Concentrates most of the text on the right side of the document, leaving a narrow column on the left.
- Right - Concentrates most of the text on the left side of the document, leaving a narrow column on the right.
- If you highlight a part (or all) of your document before clicking a column option, your document will be reformatted to appear in columns.
5
Create a custom column (optional). If you want a different option than the default, click More Columns… in the drop-down menu.
- Click a number of columns. You'll see options like One, Two, Three, and so on at the top of this window. Clicking an option will apply it to your document.
- Modify the column width and separation. You can do this by clicking the up or down arrow to the right of "Width" and the "Spacing" values, respectively.
- You can also uncheck the box next to "Equal column width" in order to make one column wider than the other.
- Check the box next to "Line between" to draw a divider. Doing so will place a visible line between your columns.
- Click Apply, and then OK to save your changes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using the Mobile App

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1
Open the Microsoft Word app. This looks like a blue background with a white "W" on top.
- You must be logged into your Microsoft account to use the Word app.
2
Tap the edit icon. This looks like a pencil in front of an A. You can find it in the top-right corner.
- A pop-up menu will open.
This is the tab in the pop-up menu. More options will show.
You can find this below Draw.
This is towards the bottom of the menu.
6
Select a column option. Doing so will apply invisible columns to your document. You can only use the default column options on the mobile app.
- One - Default setting for Word documents.
- Two - Splits the page into two distinct columns.
- Three - Splits the page into three distinct columns.
- Left - Concentrates most of the text on the right side of the document, leaving a narrow column on the left.
- Right - Concentrates most of the text on the left side of the document, leaving a narrow column on the right.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I add columns to the middle of the document without changing the format of the entire document?

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Community Answer

In Word, type the lines of text in a single column anywhere in the document. Then, select the lines of text and click the Page Layout tab. In the Page Setup options, click Columns and select the desired number of columns. Word automatically creates continuous section breaks before and after the columns. In some cases, it may be impossible to do without changing the format of the document.

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How do I rotate a page in Word?

Community Answer

Select the pages or paragraphs whose orientation you want to change. Click Page Layout > Page Setup Dialog Box Launcher. In the Page Setup box, under Orientation, click Portrait or Landscape. Click the Apply to box and click Selected text.

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