How to Make Lined Writing Paper in Microsoft Word

If you use lined writing paper to take notes, consider saving yourself the trouble of re-formating your document and making it look like lined paper whenever you need new writing space. Luckily, you can make your word processor do this automatically. There are several methods you can use, depending on the version of Microsoft Word, so follow along below to find out how to make lined writing paper in Microsoft Word!

Open a New Document in Microsoft Word

The easiest way to make lined paper is by using a word processor. There are a few steps, and you must follow them carefully, or your paper will come out all wrong. First, open up a new document. You can do this by clicking the red circle on the top left corner of your screen that says File. You should see some options listed there, including New. Click it, and a new window will appear with an empty document tab at the top. Next, click on one of the tabs at the bottom (it doesn't matter which one) and type up whatever you want for your lines. Don't worry about margins; get your lines typed up.

Set the Margins

Setting the margins is a quick way to make lined paper. You can start with any document, but this example will use a new one. Open a new document and go to Page Layout > Margins > Custom Margin. Enter 1 inch for each margin, leaving all other settings. This will create a bordered page, which is great for writing on both sides of the paper, and you don't have to worry about lining up the margins on your printer.

Insert a Table

• Open a new document in your word processor.
• Select Insert from the menu bar and select Table. 
• Click on the area of the Table you want to be lined paper, then select Format from the menu bar and click on Columns. 
• Select a column type, such as 1/4 inch for lines a one-quarter inch apart or 3/8 inch for lines three-eighths apart. 
• Go back to your Table and select a row height and width so that it is slightly smaller than the page margin, which is typically 1/2 inch all around (top, bottom, left, and right). 

Adjust the Table Settings

1. Highlight the Table that you want to make lined paper. 

2. Click on the Table Tools tab at the top of your screen, then click on Convert To Text at the far right of your screen. 

3. Click on Layout and choose a table style with lines, margins, and other formatting options you like.

Format the Table

• Highlight the text you want to change the formatting of. 
• Choose Format from the top toolbar and then choose Paragraph. 
• Under Line and Page Breaks, select Line in the left-hand column. 
• Under Line Spacing, choose where you want your lines to break: a single line or multiple lines per Paragraph (I chose single). Then click OK. 
• Your text should now be correctly formatted for lined paper!

Save the Document

In a new document, select the paper size you want. When you open a new document, the default is letter-size paper. To change your default settings, go to File > Page Setup and choose the paper size you need. Next, set margins for your lined paper. Margins are usually set at .5 inches on each side of the page; however, if you're using a different size of paper or another style of lined paper with different margins requirements, adjust this accordingly. You can also change the Orientation of your writing space from portrait to landscape mode by clicking on Layout > Orientation in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.

Is there a lined paper template in Word?

There is no lined paper template in Microsoft Word, but it is possible to make lined paper. First, you will need blank paper. After that, you must go to the Format tab and select Line Spacing. A drop-down menu will appear. Select Exactly and then hit enter on your keyboard or click outside of the text box on your document. You should now see dots where the margins of the page would be if this were lined paper. Next, you will want to go to the Page Layout tab and select Orientation. Change this from Portrait orientation (tall) to Landscape orientation (wide). You should now have a piece of lined writing paper!

How do I print my lined paper?

It would help if you used the tab button to make lined paper with your word processor. When creating a document, ensure that your margins are set accordingly and that the line spacing is set to one inch. Then, press the tab twice and type your first line. Continue this process for each line on your paper until you reach the page's bottom. The spaces between each row should be about one inch apart.

Final Thoughts

Lined paper is a great way of making your documents look more professional. You can make your lined paper with a few clicks on the computer. Download and open Microsoft Word, then select Page Layout from the Page Setup tab of the ribbon at the top of the screen. From there, click on Margins. The margins should have already been set to 1 inch by default, so all you have to do is change the line spacing from 1.15 inches to 0.5 inches and hit OK. Lastly, ensure you have a piece of lined paper printed out somewhere close by for reference when formatting for margins, headers, footers, fonts, styles, etc.