How to make two columns in Google Docs

Google Docs is a free, feature-rich alternative to Microsoft Word and using it to create documents will be a familiar experience for most. However, not all features are the same as those in Word. The columns feature, for example, can take some time to master.

In this article, we’ll show you how to create two columns in Google Docs, along with similar useful formatting commands at your disposal.

How to make two columns of text in Google Docs

The multi-column feature in Google Docs was not included when Google Docs was first released, but demand for such an option prompted developers to add it.

To add a second column to a page in your document, follow these steps:

1. To apply two-column formatting throughout your Google Document:
   1. Open Google Docs and select White page.

      

   2. In the top menu, click Format.

      

   3. In the drop-down list, hover over columns.

      

   4. Click on the two column image to apply it to your document.

      

2. To apply two-column formatting to a portion of your document:
   1. Open the Google document that has the text you want to format, or create a new one from a blank page.

      

   2. Stand out the part of the text you want to add formatting to.

      

   3. Click on Format in the top menu.

      

   4. Hover over columns in the drop-down list.

      

   5. Click on the two column image.

      

3. To create a half-page landscape document:
   
   1. Open your Google document or create a new one.

      

   2. Click on Archive in the upper left corner of the top menu.

      

   3. . Select Page Settings from the drop-down list.

      

   4. Activate Landscape from the popup window.

      

   5. Click OK. Alternatively, if you are creating multiple new horizontally oriented documents, click Set as Default to maintain these settings. You can disable this again later.

      

   6. Click on Format in the top menu.

      

   7. Hover over columns from the drop-down list.

      

   8. Click on the two column image.

      

4. To remove two-column formatting:
   1. Select the part of the text from which you want to remove two-column formatting.

      

   2. Click on Format.

      

   3. Hover over Columns.

      

   4. Select the Image in one column format.

      

How to customize columns in Google Docs

When you use multiple columns in Google Docs, you can edit the column formatting to create your custom settings. These tools are located in the Ruler tool at the top of the page.

The important ones to remember are:

• The blue downward arrow at both ends of each column represents the left and right indentation. Click and hold the mouse to adjust the indentation.

  

• The blue line above the blue arrow on the left side is the indentation of the first line. This is important if you use tabs for paragraphs. To move it, click and hold like you did with the down arrows. Typically, if you move the left indent, the first line indent will also move. Clicking and holding the first line indent will move it separately.

  

• The gray part of the ruler between the columns represents the margin. You can move it by hovering over it until the cursor changes to the margin tool. The margin tool looks like two vertical lines with arrows pointing left and right. When the cursor transforms, click and hold and then move it left or right.

  

• You can determine specific spacing widths by entering the measurement in the format options. You can access this by:
  1. Click on Format in the top menu.

     

  2. Hover over Columns.

     

  3. Click on More options.

     

  4. Enter a specific number to determine the width in inches in the text box to the right of Spacing and click Apply.

     

• If you want to make a line between the columns, open the formatting options below the columns and activate the option Line between columns.
  
  

How to make two columns in Google Docs in Chrome

Google Docs, being primarily online, is platform-agnostic and can be used in any browser. However, there is an advantage to using Google Chrome. As a Google official Google Offline Chrome ExtensionIt allows you to use the word processor even if you do not have an Internet connection.

Download and install the extension on your Google Chrome browser to enable its functionality even in offline mode. You can then add columns to your Google Docs project in your Google Chrome browser by following the same steps detailed above.

How to write in a second column in Google Docs

Typically, in a document that already has a two-column format, it will automatically move to the second column once the space in the first runs out. If you want to be able to write to any of the columns at once, you can do so by inserting column breaks into the document.

This can be done by doing the following:

1. Click on Insert in the top menu.

   

2. Hover over Break in the drop-down list.

   

3. Click on Column jump.

   

4. Alternatively, you can the right button of the mouse on the mouse and then choose column jump from the pop-up menu. If you are using a Mac, use Ctrl + click and then do the same.

   

By doing this, you can now click between both columns to go back and forth and then type the text as you wish.

How to create two columns in the Google Docson mobile app

Unfortunately, the Column Format feature is not available in the mobile version of the Google Docs mobile app. However, there are ways to get around this problem, and it involves using tables instead.

To do this:

1. Open the Google Docs mobile app and then touch the + in the lower right corner of the screen.

   

2. Tap on New document. Alternatively, if you tap Choose the template, You can explore the options to see if multi-column templates are available.

   

3. Tap on Insert. This is the + symbol in the top right menu.

   

4. Scroll down the list and then tap Table.

   

5. Tap the down arrow on columns to reduce them to two. Tap the down arrow on Rows to reduce them to one.

   

6. Tap on Insert table.
   
   

The downside to using tablets on mobile is that you can’t exactly remove the borders like you can if you use the browser. If you want the additional functionality, open your mobile web browser and then access Google Docs from there.

Additional FAQs

These are the questions that usually arise whenever there are discussions about columns in Google Docs.

How are cells pided in Google Docs?

Right now, you can’t split cells in a table created in Google Docs unless they have also been previously merged in Google Docs.

To merge cells, simply highlight the cells you want to merge and then do the following:

1. Click Format in the top menu.

2. Place the cursor on Table.

3. Click Combine cells.

4. Alternatively, you can right-click and then choose Combine cells from the pop-up menu.

5. To split merged cells, right-click or Ctrl+click the merged cell and then select Pull apart

How do you create columns in existing Google Docs?

You can have a maximum of three columns of text in a Google Document. To add a column:

1. Highlight existing text.

2. Go to the three column image in the Format menu.

If you want to add columns to a table inserted in Google Doc:

1. Right click or Ctrl + click inside the table.

2. Choose to insert column left or right.

Google Docs: a versatile tool

As Google Docs developers address demands for more formatting options, more and more features will become available. For now, knowing how to make two columns in Google Docs increases the functionality of this already versatile application.

Do you have any experience, tips or tricks for creating multiple columns in Google Docs? Share your thoughts in the comments p below.