Word’s gridlines overlay a light grid on the page, which helps you line up shapes, pictures, text boxes, and diagrams precisely. They’re a design aid only and never print. This guide shows how to turn gridlines on and off in Word for Windows and Mac, change grid spacing and snapping, show hidden table gridlines, and what to do if you actually want lines that print, like graph paper.
Quick Answer
Go to the View tab and check Gridlines in the Show group. To change the grid size, go to Layout > Align > Grid Settings. To remove gridlines, uncheck the same box.
Turn Gridlines On or Off
Windows
- Switch to Print Layout view (View > Print Layout).
- On the View tab, check Gridlines.
- Uncheck it to hide the grid.
Alternative: select a shape or picture, then choose Shape Format (or Picture Format) > Align > View Gridlines.
Mac
On the View tab, check Gridlines, or use View > Gridlines in the menu bar.
Word for the web
Drawing gridlines aren’t available in Word for the web. Use the desktop app.
Change Grid Spacing and Snapping
- Go to Layout > Align > Grid Settings.
- Under Grid settings, set Horizontal spacing and Vertical spacing, for example 0.25″.
- Under Show grid, choose how often lines appear with Vertical every and Horizontal every.
- Check Snap objects to grid when the gridlines are not displayed if you want snapping even with the grid hidden.
- Click OK. Click Set As Default to use these settings in new documents.
Hold Alt while dragging an object to move it freely without snapping.
Show Table Gridlines
Tables with no borders can be hard to edit. Click inside the table, go to Table Layout (or Layout under Table Tools), and click View Gridlines. Dotted lines show the cell edges on screen but don’t print.
Gridlines vs. Printed Lines
| Type | Prints? | How to add |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing gridlines | No | View > Gridlines |
| Table gridlines | No | Table Layout > View Gridlines |
| Table borders | Yes | Table Design > Borders > All Borders |
| Graph paper background | Yes, if background printing is on | Design > Page Color > Fill Effects > Pattern |
Make printable graph paper
- Go to Design > Page Color > Fill Effects.
- On the Pattern tab, choose a grid pattern (such as Small grid) and set the colors.
- Click OK. Turn on File > Options > Display > Print background colors and images so it prints.
For precise, printable grids, insert a table with even rows and columns and apply All Borders.
Table too wide? Read how to fix a table in Word that is off the page.
Troubleshooting
The Gridlines checkbox doesn’t show anything
Make sure you’re in Print Layout, not Read Mode, Web Layout, or Draft.
Objects jump when moved
Snap to grid is on. Hold Alt while dragging, or turn off snapping in Grid Settings.
Lines still show after unchecking Gridlines
They’re probably table gridlines, paragraph borders, or text boundaries. Check Table Layout > View Gridlines, and File > Options > Advanced > Show text boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do gridlines print?
No. Gridlines are only visible on screen.
Can I change the gridline color?
No. Word uses a fixed light gray. For colored lines, use a table or page pattern.
Summary
- Check View > Gridlines to show the grid.
- Use Layout > Align > Grid Settings for spacing and snapping.
- Use Table Layout > View Gridlines for borderless tables.
- Use table borders or a page pattern if you need lines that print.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.