When you are writing a list of items and want to split the details into different columns, that’s fairly easy to do and you can learn about how to do that in this post. However, sometimes you need to add bullets to the list and have sufficient spacing as well. In this post I’m going to show you two different methods of achieving this without compromising on readability.
Method #1 – Using the Columns
Let’s make a simple list of the alphabet and then convert this into a bullet point 2 columned list. For ease of use I have just added the bullets from the home tab.
If you just select the two column option on the Layout tab straight away, nothing will change to this specific list as there is simply not enough to be split into two columns. Therefore we need to add a column break halfway through the list.
For complete details on how to do so check out that post. However, in short form do the following:
Adding a Column Break
Press the Paragraph button so that you can see all the spaces.
Put the curser where you want the columns to split.
On the Layout tab, navigate to the Breaks button and select Column break
You will see that there is now a column break in your text:
Adding the Columns
Simply split what you have already done into columns. To do so, navigate to the Layout tab on the ribbon and select the two column option.
This is how the bullet point list now looks (with the paragraph signs to ensure you can see what I’ve done)
Take off the paragraph sign, you will see how it will be printed:
This is what I would say is the correct way of creating bullet point columns in Word. Just by knowing how to use the column break, it’s way easier to edit the text, navigate around it and use.
Whilst the method above works, it does take a little bit of getting used to. The following, perhaps more common method is below. However, it’s not something I really want to recommend because essentially it is a workaround. Be that as it may, some users are more comfortable using tables and for this reason I’m going to show you how to do so with that method as well.
Method #2 – Using a Table
On the Insert tab of the ribbon, click on the Table icon. There you should choose your table.
If what you need is more than what you can see, select the Insert Table button.
In the Dialog box, enter the number of rows and columns that you’ll need.
For the ABC, I’m going to need two columns and 13 rows. This is the result:
Now you need to enter in the data that you want to have in your bullet point columns. Remember to add the bullets. This is done exactly the same way as you normally would using the Bullets button on the home tab .
This is what you should have now:
Tip for success: If you aren’t sure how many rows you’ll need just have a few. When you run out, simply press the TAB button on your keyboard and the table will automatically add a line.
There are a few ways to remove the border but I find the easiest is to do the following:
Click on the little cross-hairs at the top of your table
The contents of the tables are now highlighted.
On the Home tab, in the paragraph section, click on the Borders button:
You see that a lot of the options are selected. However, all you need to do is select the No Border option and all the lines will disappear:
And here is the result:
The Differences Between Using a Table and Columns
As you can see, you get pretty much the same result either way. However, when you use a table you have to make sure that you put the data that you need in each individual cell. If you forget to do this and make a mistake you will have to manually drag and drop each bullet into its own cell. This is something that can be really annoying.
More than this, if you want to move the bullet list anywhere on the document, you may find it difficult to do so. They are not as easily moved as columns.
And lastly, since the table doesn’t have any borders anymore, if you need to edit it, you may find it very difficult to find. When you press Enter in a cell, it just makes the cell bigger, it will take you to a new line inside that cell, not outside the table. You just don’t have these difficulties if you use the columns.
Both tables and columns can be resized so that’s not worth getting into. However, I always say, better that you know what you can do in Word than just trying to find a workaround.
In Summary
We have seen two different ways in how to make bullet point columns in word. I really want to stress that the answer is in the title: columns. I advise trying to play around with the column settings before resorting to the table method. It’s cleaner, easier, and more flexible. I hope you have enjoyed this post and as always, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below and I’ll do my best to answer them. Good luck!
