Change Gridline Height and Width in Word 2010

To change gridline height and width in Word 2010, open Page Layout > Arrange > Align > Grid Settings. In the Drawing Grid dialog, use Vertical every and Horizontal every to control how frequently drawing gridlines appear. To change the underlying distance between grid divisions, adjust Horizontal spacing and Vertical spacing instead. The drawing grid is an on-screen guide for positioning shapes, pictures, and other objects.

These options do not change table row heights, column widths, text spacing, or printed rules. Word uses the term “gridlines” for both the drawing grid and table cell guides, so first make sure you are editing the right one.

Which gridlines are you changing?

The drawing grid is the page-wide graph-paper guide used to position floating objects such as shapes, text boxes, and pictures. Changing its interval can help you place or align those objects more precisely.

Table gridlines are the faint cell boundaries Word can show when a table has no visible borders. They have their own View Gridlines control and are not affected by Drawing Grid settings. Microsoft also notes that Word’s drawing gridlines are only a visual reference and cannot be printed. If you need visible lines on paper, add table borders or draw actual lines; changing the on-screen grid will not print it.

Change gridline height or width in Word 2010

1. Open the Page Layout ribbon

Open the document and click Page Layout. At the right end of the ribbon, find the Arrange group. The Align menu is where Word 2010 keeps the drawing-grid controls. If the ribbon is narrow, maximize the Word window so the group is easier to locate.

2. Open Drawing Grid settings

Click Align, then choose Grid Settings near the bottom of the menu. The Drawing Grid dialog opens. If a shape or picture is selected, you can also use its contextual Drawing Tools > Format > Arrange > Align > Grid Settings path. Microsoft’s Word 2010 guidance lists the Page Layout path for opening the grid interval settings.

3. Choose line frequency or grid spacing

The dialog has two related controls, and they do different jobs:

• To show more or fewer lines: under Show grid, keep Display gridlines on screen checked. Set Vertical every or Horizontal every to control how frequently lines are displayed. A value of 1 displays each division; a higher value, such as 2, shows lines at wider intervals. These entries control visible line frequency, not a measurement in inches and not the thickness of a line.
• To change the distance between grid divisions: under Grid settings, edit Horizontal spacing, Vertical spacing, or both. A smaller measurement makes the underlying grid finer; a larger measurement creates wider intervals. The values shown in the illustration are examples, not required defaults.

For example, if the grid looks too crowded, raise the relevant “every” value to display fewer guide lines while leaving the underlying spacing alone. If objects need finer placement increments, reduce the spacing value instead. The separate Grid origin controls change where the grid starts relative to the page margins; leave them unchanged unless you have a specific reason to move the grid.

4. Display the grid and apply the changes

Confirm that Display gridlines on screen is checked, then click OK. The document view updates to show the grid using your chosen settings. In Word 2010, you can also toggle drawing gridlines from View > Gridlines without reopening the dialog. If you use Word 2010 Starter and do not see a View tab, Microsoft’s community guidance places the toggle under Page Layout > Arrange > Align > View Gridlines.

If an object still snaps unexpectedly

Visible gridline frequency and object snapping are separate settings. In the Drawing Grid dialog, review Snap objects to grid when the gridlines are not displayed if objects still align to an invisible grid. Snap objects to other objects can also make a shape line up with nearby objects as you drag it. These options affect object placement; they do not determine whether the grid is visible. Microsoft’s current Word instructions likewise list grid spacing and snap-to behavior as separate controls.

If you meant table gridlines

Click inside the table, open Table Tools > Layout, and select View Gridlines. That command displays cell boundaries when table borders are hidden. It does not change the page-wide drawing grid. Table gridlines are nonprinting guides; add borders if the table lines need to appear in a printed document.

Microsoft references

• Word 2010: where to open Grid Settings
• Microsoft Q&A: choosing how many drawing gridlines to display
• Microsoft Support: grid spacing and snap-to settings in Word
• Microsoft Support: showing and hiding Word gridlines
• Microsoft Support: table gridlines and printable borders