Word lets you split text into newspaper-style columns, but how many you can have depends on your page size, orientation and margins. The Columns dialog accepts up to 45, but Word won’t let any column be narrower than half an inch, so on a standard letter-size page in portrait with 1-inch margins you’ll hit the limit at about 13 columns. This guide explains the limits in Word for Microsoft 365, how to fit more columns, and when a table is the better choice.
Quick Answer
The Columns dialog allows up to 45 columns, but each column must be at least 0.5 inch wide. On a letter-size page with 1-inch margins, that’s about 13 columns in portrait and about 18 in landscape. Reduce margins, use landscape, choose larger paper, or set column spacing to zero to fit more. Word tables, by contrast, can have up to 63 columns.
How to Add Columns in Word 365
- Click where the columns should start, or select the text you want in columns.
- Click the Layout tab.
- Click Columns and choose One, Two, Three, Left or Right.
- For more than three, choose More Columns and type a number in Number of columns.
- Set Width and Spacing, choose Apply to (Whole document, This section or This point forward), and click OK.
Why You Can’t Always Get 45 Columns
Word divides the space between the margins by the number of columns, minus the spacing between them. If a column would be narrower than 0.5 inch, Word lowers the maximum. For example:
- Letter paper, portrait, 1″ margins: 6.5″ of text width, so about 13 columns with no spacing.
- Letter paper, landscape, 1″ margins: 9″ of width, about 18 columns.
- Narrow 0.5″ margins: portrait gives 7.5″, about 15 columns.
- Larger paper (tabloid or custom sizes): more width means more columns, up to the 45-column cap.
How to Fit More Columns
- Reduce margins: Layout > Margins > Narrow, or set custom margins.
- Switch to landscape: Layout > Orientation > Landscape.
- Use bigger paper: Layout > Size, and choose Tabloid, A3 or a custom size.
- Set spacing to 0″: in More Columns, reduce the Spacing value.
Keep readability in mind: very narrow columns with regular-size text leave only a word or two per line.
Columns vs. Tables
Text columns flow text from the bottom of one column to the top of the next, which suits newsletters and brochures. For data in rows and columns, use a table: Insert > Table. Word tables support up to 63 columns, and each cell stays aligned with its row.
Useful Column Tricks
- Column break: press Ctrl + Shift + Enter (or Layout > Breaks > Column) to move text to the next column.
- Different columns in one document: insert a Continuous section break (Layout > Breaks) and apply a different column setting to each section.
- Line between columns: check Line between in More Columns.
- Balance columns: insert a continuous section break at the end of the text to make columns end at the same height.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the limit different in older versions of Word?
The same rules (45-column cap, 0.5″ minimum width) apply to Word 2010 and later.
Can I have columns of different widths?
Yes. Uncheck Equal column width in More Columns and set each column’s width.
Does Word for the web support columns?
Word for the web can display and create basic columns in recent versions, but the full More Columns options are in the desktop app.
Summary
- Maximum in the dialog: 45 columns.
- Minimum column width: 0.5 inch, which limits most pages to 13–18 columns.
- Fit more with narrower margins, landscape or larger paper.
- Use a table (up to 63 columns) for data.
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.