How a page is arranged - its margins, its orientation, where one page ends and the next begins - shapes how a document feels before anyone reads a word of it. By the end of this page you will be able to control all three, plus add a page break exactly where you want one.
Most of the settings that control the shape of your page, rather than the text on it, live on the Layout tab (sometimes called Page Layout). This is where you choose how much blank space sits around your writing, whether the page is tall or wide, and how content is split across pages.
Word's default margins are sensible for most letters and reports, but you will sometimes want more room for binding, or less wasted white space on a poster. The Margins button on the Layout tab offers a few ready-made options, or a Custom Margins choice if you need an exact measurement.
- Blank space around the text
- Tall or wide page
- Forces a new page here
Try it yourself
Go to the Layout tab and click Margins.
This opens a menu of preset margin sizes such as Normal, Narrow and Wide, so you can see the effect before committing to it.
Choose Narrow, then look at how much more text fits on the page.
Narrower margins give more room for your text but can make a page feel cramped, so it is a trade-off worth seeing for yourself.
Click Margins again and choose Custom Margins to set your own values, then click OK.
This is useful when you have an exact requirement, such as extra space on the left for a document that will be hole-punched and filed.
Click Orientation on the Layout tab and choose Landscape.
The whole page turns on its side, which is useful for wide tables or images that do not fit comfortably on a tall page.
Click at the very start of a line partway through your document, then press Ctrl+Enter.
This inserts a page break, forcing everything from that point onward to begin on a fresh page, rather than however far down the current page happened to end.
Words people use
These layout tools rarely need adjusting for a simple letter, but the moment you are producing a report, a poster or anything with tables and images, knowing where to find margins, orientation and page breaks saves a great deal of fiddling with the Enter key.
Check yourself
If you can say yes to each of these, you are ready for the next lesson.
- I can change a document's margins from the Layout tab
- I can switch a page between portrait and landscape
- I can insert a genuine page break with Ctrl+Enter
- I know columns exist for newsletter-style layouts