Quick answer: To add or change the blank space around a Word page, choose Layout > Margins and pick a preset. For exact measurements, choose Custom Margins, enter the top, bottom, left, and right values, then select OK. Margins are page settings; they are different from paragraph indents.
Set margins for the document
- Open the document in desktop Word and select the Layout tab.
- Choose Margins in the Page Setup group.
- Select a preset such as Normal or Narrow. The preset applies immediately.
- For exact spacing, choose Custom Margins, enter measurements for each side, and choose OK. Use Print Preview to check the result.
Word commonly starts with one-inch margins, but the current document or template may use different values. Changing margins can change page count and line breaks, so review the finished document before printing.
The Normal preset is 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides. Choose it from Layout > Margins to go back to standard margins after experimenting. The same Layout > Margins menu, including Custom Margins, is available in Word for Mac and Word for the web.
Use different margins in one part of a document
Place section breaks around the part that needs different margins. Click inside that section, open Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, and set Apply to to This section. A simple page break does not create a separate section. See our section-break tutorial for setting up section boundaries before changing the layout.
Change just one page or a facing-page layout
To give only one page different margins, place a Next Page section break before it and another after it, then click within that middle section. Open Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, set the values, and confirm Apply to: This section. Check the preceding, changed, and following pages afterward. Removing either break later can merge section formatting and change neighboring pages.
For a document that will be printed on both sides and bound, ordinary Left and Right values may not suit facing pages. In Custom Margins, choose Mirror margins under Multiple Pages, then set the Inside and Outside widths. The inside margin can leave extra room near the binding; inspect a two-page spread and the printer preview before printing. Microsoft says Word for the web can preserve existing mirror margins, but desktop Word is needed to create them.
To change margins from a certain page to the end of the document, click at the start of that page, open Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, enter the new values, and set Apply to to This point forward. Word inserts the section break for you, and earlier pages keep their original margins.
Make your margins the default for new documents
If you use the same margins all the time, save them to the Normal template so every new blank document starts with them. These steps are for Word for Windows.
- Open Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
- Enter the top, bottom, left, and right values you want.
- Select Set As Default.
- Choose Yes to confirm.
The change applies to new documents based on the Normal template. Documents you already created keep their current margins.
Adjust margins by dragging the ruler
For a quick visual change, you can drag the margin edges instead of typing numbers.
- Select View and check Ruler.
- Point to the edge of the shaded area on the ruler until the pointer turns into a two-headed arrow.
- Drag the edge to widen or narrow the margin.
The horizontal ruler changes the left and right margins, and the vertical ruler changes the top and bottom margins in Print Layout view. Be careful not to grab the indent markers, which move only the selected paragraphs.
When margins appear to have no effect
First check whether the document has several sections and the change applied only to the current one. Then look for paragraph indents or a text box: changing a page margin will not reset those separate settings. If content still looks clipped in Print Preview, increase the affected margin or check the selected printer’s printable area.
If the top or bottom space still looks wrong
The header and footer have their own distance from the page edge, separate from the top and bottom margins. If the header is taller than the top margin, Word pushes the body text down to make room.
- Open Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
- Select the Layout tab in the Page Setup window.
- Check the Header and Footer values under From edge and lower them if needed.
- Click OK.
Also remove empty paragraphs inside the header or footer. If the gap between pages seems to disappear on screen, Word may be hiding white space; double-click the line between two pages in Print Layout view to show it again.
Margins, indents, and printer limits
- Margins control the space between the paper edge and the page’s text area.
- Paragraph indents move selected paragraphs inside that text area; use the Paragraph controls for those.
- Very small margins may exceed the printer’s printable area. If Word warns that margins are outside the printable area, increase them or check the printer’s specifications.
Microsoft’s instructions: Change margins in Word.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com