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Margins

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About this lesson

Learn how to set margins to standard or custom settings.

Lesson versions

Multiple versions of this lesson are available, choose the appropriate version for you:

2013, 2016, 2019/365.

Exercise files

Download the Word document used in the video tutorial and try the lesson yourself.

Margins .docx
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Quick reference

Page Layout: Margins

Learn how to set margins to standard or custom settings

When to use

Margins are a vital setting on EVERY document.  You don’t finish a document without verifying your margin settings.

Instructions

Three places to find Margin settings:

  1. Page Layout Ribbon
                  
  2. Print Preview screen (or Ctrl P)            
     
  3. Top Ruler and Left Ruler


Tips to know:

  • Gutters are only used if a large manuscript will be bound at a print shop.  You would verify with them before placing a measurement, usually .3, into the gutter setting box. Generally a gutter setting is not used, but it is nice to know what it is for.
                         
  • If you find that you change your margins every time you use Word, then set the default margins once and for all:
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  • 00:04 In this lesson I'd like to talk to you about margins which is basically
  • 00:08 the white area to the left top right and bottom that surrounds the entire document.
  • 00:13 Generally this is one inch margin but
  • 00:15 the only way to make sure is actually go into the layout section the Layout ribbon.
  • 00:20 Over here on the left we have Margins.
  • 00:22 And, here you have preformatted margins.
  • 00:24 You can choose any of these, because, ultimately you are the one in charge.
  • 00:28 At the bottom we have an option that says Custom Margins.
  • 00:31 When you're in here you can just type in whatever measurement you
  • 00:35 want by default the industry standard is one inch top bottom left right.
  • 00:40 Then we have this little setting called a gutter, and I'll show you what that's for
  • 00:43 in a second, but you can ultimately type a quarter of an inch .25 in there, or
  • 00:48 whatever you want.
  • 00:49 But when I get out of here I'll show you that.
  • 00:51 Now if your top bottom left right isn't one inch, go ahead and
  • 00:56 just type those in and right down here you can hit the set as default.
  • 00:59 Now set as default means forever more, it's going to default and
  • 01:04 open every document as a one inch all on every side.
  • 01:07 That's fine, because you still are the boss.
  • 01:09 You still can change it when you need it, but at least you have your standard.
  • 01:14 Now, let me scroll down and show you what a gutter is.
  • 01:17 This is a picture of a document that is being bound.
  • 01:20 This is called comb binding or wire bindings.
  • 01:23 Notice where that, the hole punch is,
  • 01:26 is about a quarter inch from the edge of the paper to accommodate the binding.
  • 01:30 If you know a document is going to have a binding.
  • 01:32 You can set a quarter of an inch gutter.
  • 01:35 And then the regular standard one inch margin will apply beyond that gutter.
  • 01:38 That's what a gutter is, okay?
  • 01:40 That's all it is.
  • 01:41 All right, let's go to print preview, or Ctrl+P on the keyboard.
  • 01:45 And I like that feature because you get to see the document
  • 01:49 off on the right-hand side.
  • 01:50 But look over here on the left, you still have your margin settings.
  • 01:53 So you click here, it looks just like the same screen we saw in the Layout ribbon.
  • 01:58 And of course, we have the custom margins here as well, all right?
  • 02:01 So I'll go back.
  • 02:02 And the last way to do this is the rulers, the top ruler and left ruler.
  • 02:06 Now, why don't we scroll up.
  • 02:07 On the left ruler, this top gray area represents the top margin.
  • 02:12 and then the white area is where we type.
  • 02:14 On the top ruler, this left gray area is the left hand margin,
  • 02:19 the white space over here.
  • 02:20 And of course this is where we type, the white area.
  • 02:22 And then the right margin is represented here.
  • 02:25 Now if I float my mouse between the gray and the white, it even says right margin.
  • 02:29 Then I can click and drag and adjust the margins.
  • 02:32 And over here on the left, I can click and drag and adjust these margins.
  • 02:36 Now at any time, if you want to quickly jump into page layout, or
  • 02:40 page setup, float your mouse on the left margin and double-click, click, click.
  • 02:44 Opens up your margin settings.
  • 02:46 And just like that, I can retype whatever has to be typed and adjusted, and
  • 02:51 I can adjust the gutter.
  • 02:52 And at the very bottom, I can click OK.
  • 02:54 So, the double click in the ruler is kind of a trick
  • 02:58 to getting very quickly into your margin settings.
  • 03:00 So, all right.
  • 03:01 That's it for margins.
  • 03:03 You will be adjusting these when you use Microsoft Word.
  • 03:06 Thank you.

Lesson notes are only available for subscribers.

Symbols
03m:48s
Paper Orientation and Size
03m:45s
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