One of the main benefits of Microsoft Word Online is its accessibility. As long as you have Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365), you can open Word files and other documents anywhere. Like its offline version, Word Online also contains many beautiful features and options, and creating a cover from scratch is one of them.
Unlike the offline app, Word Online lacks some key features, and the templates for cover pages are one of them. This means that you either have to make the cover pages from scratch on Word or directly insert a previously made cover page.
MAKING A CUSTOM COVER PAGE
Creating custom cover pages on Word requires a bit of manual effort since a few features are missing from the online version. For example, Word Online doesn’t let you add or modify page borders. Thankfully, we have a nifty workaround in the form of a single table cell.
Step 1: Once you have a blank Word document open, click on Insert > Table and select a single cell from the table. Once the cell is in position, gently pull the bottom border down until you see the tab for the second page.
Step 2: Next, click on Layout > Margins, and select Narrow from the list. As suggestive of its name, this option will narrow down the margins at the top and bottom.
However, if you want narrower margins, the best option will be to define custom width and height. To do so, click on Custom Margins at the bottom and enter the number.
Step 3: Now that the border is in position, it’s time to add an image or a text of your choice. To add an image, click on Insert > Picture and pick one of the options.
Furthermore, you can also add borders or change the shape. To do so, double-click on the image, and the options will be visible at the top.
Step 4: To add text to the cover page, hit Enter to add the necessary text. And like any word processing tool, you can tweak the font type, color, and size. Once done, you will see some semblance to a cover page.
Alternatively, you can also add the text to appear at the top of the image. To do so, select on the image and select Wrap Text > Behind Text from the top ribbon. Next, add the text.
Furthermore, you can also add a splash of color to the cover page. To do so, right-click on the table cell to display all the formatting options. Next, pick a color from the Cell Shading option. Add the important details like name, course name, date, and university name at the bottom, and your custom cover page is ready.
EASIER ALTERNATIVE: INSERT A COVER PAGE
As mentioned above, Word Online does not allow you to directly select a cover template. If you can’t use the Word application and don’t like some of the stricter Word Online methods, you can create a cover page on a graphic design application such as Canva and place it like a picture.
For instance, we modified this ready-made template on Canva and downloaded it as a PNG file. Next, we added the image inside the border which we created. All the text and style will get handled via the infographic tool itself. No need to do that in Word.
WORD CAN BE CREATIVE
Due to the lack of key elements, designing a cover on Microsoft Word (especially the online version) can be somewhat challenging. Fortunately, with a little adjustment and patience, you can create custom covers for your assignments, reports, research reports, etc.
