How to Make Lined Paper With Microsoft Word

The high cost of printer ink makes it far more expensive to print lined paper compared to buying it, but there are times when you may want to customize your own paper. For example, a teacher might want to create editable lined paper for a kindergarten class and then add different graphics to reflect the season throughout the year. There are several ways you can create lined paper in Microsoft Word, including editing the properties of a table or underlining blank text. You can also search for a lined paper template for Word that meets your requirements.

The best way to find a lined paper template is by searching on the official Microsoft Office templates website (see Resources). You also have the option of searching online for templates when you use the "New" command to create a new document in Word, but the results of the search may not be as complete as searching directly from the template website. After you type the words "lined paper" into the template search field, you'll see several templates that have been created for specific functions. If one of the templates fits your requirements, click on the template link to download. When you open the downloaded template file in Word, you can modify the template to further customize it and then save it as a Word document.

Many lined paper templates use a single column table in Word. You can make your own by creating a new blank document and using the "Table" command on the "Insert" tab to make a table with one column wide and with enough rows to fill the page (use the Insert Row command on the right mouse button menu to add rows if necessary). Use the resize handles on the corners of the table to extend the table width as needed. Once you have the basic table, select "Table Properties" from the right mouse menu and customize the table to resemble lined paper. This may include setting the line height and should include removing the left and right borders on the table. You can do this using the "Borders" drop-down menu under the "Design" tab of "Table Tools."

One of the quickest ways to create the effect of lined paper in Word is by underlining blank text. Create a new document. Press the "Tab2 key repeatedly to fill the space where you want lines. Select the lines you just added and use Ctrl+U to underline the blank text. You can also use the "Underline" button on the "Font" tab to apply underlining to selected blank text.