How to Make Two Columns in Microsoft Word


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The ability to make two columns of text on a single piece of paper is one of Microsoft Word’s most useful features. You can use it to format poetry, make lists, save on printer paper, and write newspaper columns. In this article, we will walk you through the guidelines on how to make two columns in Word.

How to Make Two Columns in Word 2016, 2013, and 2010 in 5 Easy Steps

In the most recent versions of Word, you can change your text into columns with these instructions.

  1. Open the document you would like to turn into two columns.
  2. Move your cursor to the place where you would like to begin typing in columns, or highlight the text that you would like to format into two columns. You can easily highlight the entire document by hitting “Ctrl+A.”
  3. Click on the “Layout” tab at the top of the page.
  4. Select the icon that says “Columns” and has an icon of a piece of paper with two columns to open a dropdown menu.
  5. Click the number of columns that you would like to create. To make two columns, this would be the number two.

microsoft word 2016 column formatting

How to Make Two Columns in Word 2003 in 7 Easy Steps

There are a few extra steps when adding columns to older versions of Word, so you will need to follow these steps:

  1. Open Word and find the document that you would prefer to have in two columns.
  2. Go to the Standard toolbar if it does not automatically load as your default.
  3. Click the Toolbar Options icon, which looks like a small rectangle with three arrows on the right side of the toolbar.
  4. Add the “Columns” option to your standard toolbar.
  5. Highlight the text you want to turn into columns, or just click on the spot where you would like to start typing in two columns.
  6. Click the column icon on your standard toolbar. This icon looks like two columns of horizontal lines.
  7. Click the number of columns that you would like to make.

You can use these steps to easily change Word documents into one, two, or three columns. To learn more about adding columns to a document, read the Office Support article on the subject or contact a member of the Microsoft Customer Support team and ask them a question.

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