How to set margins in pages for word papers

The best way to judge a layВout is with your eyes, not with a calВcuВlaВtor. For an asymВmetВric layВout, make the difВferВence beВtween the left and right marВgins at least 1вЂі to make the asymВmeВtry obvious. FiВnally, thereвЂ™s no rule that a text block has to be cenВtered on the page horВiВzonВtally. OthВerВwise, the text block can look like itвЂ™s sagВging. To make the text block apВpear cenВtered verВtiВcally, try makВing the botВtom marВgin about a 0.25вЂі larger than the top marВgin. Your line length will stay the same, but youвЂ™ll get more lines per page. To fit more text on the page, reВduce the top and botВtom marВgins. In a printed docВuВment, do your marВgins all have to be the same size? No. In a duВplex (two-sided) docВuВment, the gutВter will auВtoВmatВiВcally alВterВnate sides. If so, youвЂ™re seeВing how good tyВpogВraВphy can be a benevВoВlent force-it imВproves the apВpearВance and legВiВbilВity of your text with no comВproВmise in words per page.ДЄ gutВter marВgin is exВtra space on one side of a printed page that acВcounts for a bindВing. IвЂ™m guessВing you anВswered B to the last three quesВtions. Which docВuВment conВtains more words per page: A or B? Hint: use word count.

Which docВuВment is more comВfortВable to read: A or B? Which one looks more like a proВfesВsionВally typeВset book: A or B? ShortВcut: the вЂњbeВforeвЂќ and вЂњafВterвЂќ samВples in reВsearch paВpers are pretty close to the forВmatВting of docВuВments A and B. Paste in the same text.ДЇorВmat this secВond docВuВment as folВlows: page marВgins of 2вЂі per side, font is still Times New RoВman, point size is 11, line spacВing is exВactly 15 points, first-line inВdent is still 0.5вЂі, and still no space beВtween paraВgraphs. Start anВother new docВuВment in your word procesВsor. See line spacВing.) IвЂ™m usВing it here beВcause itвЂ™s the line-spacВing opВtion many peoВple seВlect by default.ДЇorВmat this new docВuВment as folВlows: page marВgins of 1вЂі per side, font is Times New RoВman, point size is 12, line spacВing is вЂњDouВbleвЂќ (if youвЂ™re usВing Word if not, use exВactly 28 points), first-line inВdent is 0.5вЂі, and no space beВtween paraВgraphs. (If that seems like peВcuВliar math, I agree. With a 12-point font, вЂњDouВbleвЂќ line spacВing in Word works out to be 28 points. Start a new docВuВment in your word procesВsor. вЂњBut with those big marВgins, I wonвЂ™t get nearly as many words on the page.вЂќ Oh really? LetвЂ™s adВdress that fear with a word-procesВsor exВerВcise that brings toВgether some of what youвЂ™ve learned so far. The pleaВsure of readВing an efВfecВtively deВsigned docВuВment will soon outВweigh the unВfaВmilВiarВity of exВtra white space around the edges. The white space will take care of itВself. Whether youвЂ™re writВing for print or the web, set your text acВcordВing to the prinВciВples of good tyВpogВraВphy. ProВfesВsional tyВpogВraВphers never use 8.5вЂівЂ‰Г—вЂ‰11вЂі paВper with a 6.5вЂі line length. It would be too big for comВfortВable reading. But do you ever see a book printed on 8.5вЂівЂ‰Г—вЂ‰11вЂі paВper? No-never. So are there any pubВliВcaВtions that do run text in a sinВgle block on the page? Sure-books are usuВally set in a sinВgle colВumn. They use mulВtiВple-colВumn layВouts or find other ways to diВvide the page.

But do any of those magВaВzines run text in a sinВgle block on the page with one-inch marВgins? No-never.

Are there any pubВliВcaВtions that use 8.5вЂівЂ‰Г—вЂ‰11вЂі paВper? Yes, itвЂ™s the apВproxВiВmate size of many magВaВzines. But with page marВgins, you can reВshape them.ДЄs proof, conВsider a print exВamВple. They do not repВreВsent anyВoneвЂ™s idea of a conВveВnient size for good tyВpogВraВphy. The 8.5вЂівЂ‰Г—вЂ‰11вЂі paВper size, and the sizes of comВputer screens, are stanВdards imВposed on us by hisВtory and traВdiВtion. It wasnвЂ™t unВtil 1980 that the wholeВ U.S. govВernВment agenВcies the larger, with everyВone else. вЂњBut if I use bigВger marВgins, wonвЂ™t a lot of the page be empty?вЂќ Sure.

How to set margins in pages for word papers