How to Add Borders and Shadows in LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice Writer provides built-in paragraph formatting tools that allow you to customize individual text blocks with borders and drop shadows. By accessing the paragraph properties menu, you can select specific line arrangements, adjust padding, and configure shadow positions and colors to highlight key information or enhance your document’s visual appeal.

Step 1: Open the Paragraph Properties Menu

  1. Place your cursor inside the paragraph you want to format, or highlight multiple paragraphs.
  2. Right-click the selected text and choose Paragraph > Paragraph… from the context menu (alternatively, select Format > Paragraph… from the top menu bar).
  3. In the Paragraph dialog box, click on the Borders tab.

Step 2: Configure the Paragraph Border

  1. Line Arrangement (Presets): Under the Presets section, select the desired border layout (e.g., set borders on all four sides, top and bottom only, or a left vertical line). You can also click the interactive diagram under User-defined to toggle individual sides on or off.
  2. Line Properties: In the Line section, choose the border’s Style (solid, dashed, dotted, double), Width, and Color.
  3. Padding: In the Padding section, adjust the distance between the text and the border lines (Top, Bottom, Left, and Right). Increasing the padding prevents the text from touching the border edges.

Step 3: Add and Customize the Shadow

  1. Shadow Position: In the Shadow Style section on the same tab, select a shadow orientation under Position (such as bottom-right, top-right, bottom-left, or top-left).
  2. Distance: Set the Distance value to control the size and spread of the shadow.
  3. Color: Select a Color for the shadow from the dropdown palette.

Step 4: Apply the Changes

Click the OK button at the bottom of the dialog window. The chosen border lines, padding, and shadow styling will immediately apply to your selected paragraph.

Applying to Multiple Paragraphs via Styles

To reuse the same border and shadow styling across your document:

  1. Open the Styles sidebar by pressing F11 or clicking the Styles icon on the right sidebar.
  2. Right-click an existing paragraph style (or right-click to create New…) and select Modify….
  3. Navigate to the Borders tab, configure the border and shadow settings as described above, and click OK.
  4. Apply the style to any paragraph by double-clicking the style name in the list.