Have you ever wanted to create lines in a document that look clean and neat? You could just tap the underscore key to give the look of one long line, but it often appears “broken” with the right margin ragged and inconsistent. However, a really cool shortcut for creating a line that is fluid and leaves the margin with a clean, even appearance is a trick using the Underline formatting with Tabs.

Lines in WordFor example, if you want to create a form in a registration document where you are asking for key contact information as in this example:

  • First, type the word NAME (or the content you want right before the line). Add a space for a little bit of separation between the word and the line.
  • Next, click on the Underline formatting function (or as a shortcut, Ctrl U). Use your Tab key to tab over as many times as you would like the line to be long. If you want the line to break at the right margin, stop there. Press Enter to go to a new line.
  • Be sure to turn OFF the Underline tool by clicking the U in the toolbar (or Ctrl U) so your new text is not underlined.
  • Enter your text (in this case we will use ADDRESS). Add a space. Tab over as many times as you would like the line to display.
  • Keep repeating this pattern by turning ON the Underline when you want to create a line and then turning it OFF where you do not want it.