How to Change the Color of the Bar in a Footer in Microsoft Word

1. Open Word. Click the 'File' tab. Click 'Open.' Select the Word document you want to work with by double-clicking the name of the file. When the document opens in a new window, scroll to the bottom of a page so the footer is in view.
2. Double-click the footer, which opens the green 'Header and Footer Design Tools' tab at the top of the workspace.
3. Click the 'Footer' button on the left side of the ribbon/toolbar. Click the 'Blank' footer, which is the first option in the button's drop-down menu, and has no colored bar in it. The footer changes to text without the colored bar.
4. Click the 'Insert' tab. Click the 'Shapes' button. Click one of the line buttons under the 'Line' section. The cursor changes to a plus sign.
5. Press and hold down the 'Shift' key. Draw a line from the left to the right side of the footer; don't worry about its placement just now. Release the 'Shift' key, and the line appears.
6. Click once on the line to open the orange 'Drawing Tools' tab at the top of the workspace. Choose a color from the 'Shape Styles' section of the ribbon/toolbar.
7. Drag the footer bar into place above the text for the footer, remaining in the dotted-outlined area designated for the footer.
8. Click the red 'Close Header and Footer' button on the toolbar and return to working within the Word document itself.