Microsoft Word - Microsoft 365

Microsoft Word - Page Formatting

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Page formatting in Microsoft Word refers to all the adjustments you make to control the overall layout and appearance of your document’s pages. It goes beyond just margins and encompasses several aspects:

  • Margins: As you learned in the handout, margins define the blank space around the edges of the page.
  • Orientation: You can choose between Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) orientation depending on your content’s needs.
  • Size: The default size is Letter (8.5” x 11”), but Word allows you to customize it for specific purposes like brochures or legal documents.
  • Sections: For long documents, you can divide them into sections with independent formatting, like having different margins for the introduction or references.
  • Headers & Footers: These are areas at the top and bottom of each page, typically used for page numbers, titles, or other repeated information.
  • Line Spacing & Paragraphs: You can control the spacing between lines of text and adjust paragraph indentation for improved readability.
  • Columns: Your document can be formatted with multiple columns for layouts like newsletters or presentations.
  • Background & Borders: Adding a subtle background color or decorative borders can enhance the visual appeal of your document.

Essentially, page formatting helps you arrange and present your content in a clear, organized, and professional manner.

1. Margins

What are Page Margins?

  • Page margins in Microsoft Word define the blank space around the edges of your document. They control how far your text and graphics are positioned from the edge of the paper when printed.
  • A margin defines the boundaries of the text .
  • The text cannot cross these boundaries

Why are Page Margins Important?

  • Readability: Proper margins improve readability by creating visual space around your content.
  • Professionalism: Consistent margins enhance the overall look and feel of your document, making it appear more professional.
  • Printing & Binding: Setting margins ensures important information isn’t cut off during printing or binding.

How to Set Page Margins in Word

There are two ways to adjust page margins in Microsoft Word:

Method 1: Using the Page Layout Tab

  1. Click the Page Layout tab on the ribbon.
  2. In the Page Setup group, find the Margins button.
  3. Choose a predefined margin setting like Normal, Wide, or Narrow.
  4. Alternatively, click Custom Margins to set specific values for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins in the respective boxes.

Method 2: Using the Ruler

  1. Make sure the ruler is displayed (View > Ruler).
  2. Place your mouse on the top, bottom, left, or right margin indicator on the ruler.
  3. Drag the margin indicator inwards to decrease the margin size or outwards to increase it.

Additional Tips

  • Mirror Margins: Ensures equal margins on the left and right sides of the page. Click the small launcher arrow next to the Margins button and select Mirror Margins.
  • Portrait vs. Landscape: Margin settings might differ depending on your document orientation (Portrait or Landscape). You can change the orientation under the Page Setup group within the Page Layout tab.
  • Multiple Sections: If your document has different sections with varying margin requirements, you can adjust margins independently for each section.

Remember:

  • Experiment with different margin settings to find what works best for your document type and purpose.
  • Consider standard printing requirements (usually 1 inch margins) when setting margins for official documents.

See also:

3. Page Orientation

Handout: Mastering Page Orientation in Microsoft Word

What is Page Orientation?

Page orientation refers to the direction in which text and content appear on a page in Microsoft Word. There are two main options:

  • Portrait: This is the standard orientation where the page is taller than it is wide. Ideal for most documents containing text.
  • Landscape: This orientation has the page wider than it is tall. Useful for wide tables, charts, or images.

Changing Page Orientation

There are two ways to change the page orientation in Word:

  • Using the Page Layout Tab:
    1. Go to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon.
    2. In the Page Setup group, find the Orientation button.
    3. Click the dropdown menu and choose either Portrait or Landscape.
  • Using the Layout Dialog Box:
    1. Go to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon.
    2. In the Page Setup group, click the small arrow in the bottom right corner.
    3. This opens the Page Setup dialog box.
    4. In the Orientation section, choose Portrait or Landscape.
    5. Click OK to apply the changes.

Applying Orientation to Specific Sections

You can set different orientations for different sections of your document. This is useful if you have a wide table in the middle that needs landscape orientation, while the rest of the document remains in portrait.

  1. Place your cursor at the beginning of the section where you want to change the orientation.
  2. Follow steps 1 or 2 above to access the orientation settings.
  3. Choose the desired orientation (portrait or landscape).
  4. In the Apply to dropdown menu, select This section instead of Whole document.
  5. You can repeat this process to set different orientations for various sections.

Tips for Using Page Orientation

  • Consider the content you are creating. Choose the orientation that best presents your information clearly.
  • Ensure consistency throughout the document unless using sections with different orientations.
  • Remember to adjust margins and spacing according to the chosen orientation.
  • Preview your document before printing to confirm the layout looks as intended.

3. Paper Size

  • The length and the width of a page in document is called page size. Example: Letter (8.5 * 11), A4 (8.27 * 11.67), Legal (8.5 * 14 )

Why Change Page Size?

  • Specific Document Needs: Flyers, brochures, or academic papers often require non-standard page sizes.
  • Professional Printing: Printing companies may have size requirements for certain projects.
  • Digital Distribution: E-books or web content may benefit from specific page dimensions.

3. Page Break

  • Inserting new page in MS Word is called Page Break.

Types of Page Break

  1. Soft Page Break
  2. Hard Page Break
  • The page break automatically inserted by MS Word is called Soft Page Break.
  • The page break inserted by the user is called Hard Page Break.
  • Page break lines are always visible in Draft View.

Insert a manual page break Click where you want to start a new page. On the Insert tab, in the Pages group, click Page Break.

OR Keyboard shortcut CTRL+Return

Delete Hard Page Break Open Document in Draft view. Select the page break marker Press Delete Must click on show/Hide button to view Page Break in Draft View

Prevent page breaks in the middle of a paragraph Select the paragraph that you want to prevent from breaking onto two pages. On the Page Layout tab, click the Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher, and then click the Line and Page Breaks tab. Select the Keep lines together check box.

Prevent page breaks between paragraphs Select the paragraphs that you want to keep together on a single page. On the Page Layout tab, click the Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher, and then click the Line and Page Breaks tab. Select the Keep with next check box.

Specify a page break before a paragraph Click the paragraph that you want to follow the page break. On the Page Layout tab, click the Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher, and then click the Line and Page Breaks tab. Select the Page break before check box. Note: This setting make paragraph, first paragraph in the page.

Widow/Orphan control A professional-looking document never ends a page with just one line of a new paragraph or begins a page with only the last line of a paragraph from the previous page. The last line of a paragraph by itself at the top of a page is known as a widow. The first line of a paragraph by itself at the bottom of a page is known as an orphan.

4. Header and Footers

  • Header is text or graphics that is added to the top margin of every page.
  • Footer is text or graphics that is added to bottom margin.
  • Headers and Footers are inserted in order to display repeated text or graphics on top or bottom of pages in a document.
  • Header mostly used for chapter heading & Footer for Page No

Insert the same header and footer throughout a document On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer. Click the header or footer design that you want. The header or footer is inserted on every page of the document.

Note    If necessary, you can format text in the header or footer by selecting the text and using the formatting options on the Mini toolbar.

Insert text or graphics in a header or footer and save it to the gallery On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer. Click Edit Header or Edit Footer. Insert text or graphics. To save the header or footer that you created to the gallery of header or footer options, select the text or graphics in the header or footer, and then click Save Selection as New Header or Save Selection as New Footer.

Change headers or footers On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer. Click a header or footer design from the gallery. The header or footer design changes for the entire document.

Insert Cover Page On the Insert tab, in the Pages group, click Cover Page. Click a cover page design from the gallery.

Remove the header or footer from the first page On the Page Layout tab, click the Page Setup Dialog Box Launcher, and then click the Layout tab. Select the Different first page check box under Headers and footers. Headers and footers are removed from the first page of the document.

Additional Topics

Page Margin

Gutter & Mirror Add margins for binding   Use a gutter margin to add extra space to the side or top margin of a document that you plan to bind. Set margins for facing pages   Use mirror margins to set up facing pages for double-sided documents, such as books or magazines. In this case, the margins of the left page are a mirror image of those of the right page

Inside Margin Inside Margin Outside Margin Page One Page Two Page Three Mirror Margin

Set margins for facing pages When you choose mirror margins, the margins of the left page are a mirror image of those on the right page. That is, the inside margins are the same width, and the outside margins are the same width. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click Margins. Click Mirrored. To change the margin widths, click Margins, click Custom Margins, and then, in the Inside and Outside boxes, enter the widths that you want.

Set gutter margins for bound documents A gutter margin setting adds extra space to the side margin or top margin of a document that you plan to bind. A gutter margin helps ensure that text isn’t obscured by the binding. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click Margins. Click Custom Margins. In the Multiple pages list, click Normal. In the Gutter box, enter a width for the gutter margin. In the Gutter position box, click Left or Top.

Changing Page Margins using Page Setup Dialog Box Page Margin

Page Background On the Page Layout tab, select the option from Page Background group

Line Number

Hyphenation Used to break words between lines

Make the headers or footers different for odd and even pages

Make the headers or footers different for odd and even pages For example, you might choose to use the title of the document on odd pages, and the chapter title on even pages. On the Page Layout tab, click the Page Setup Dialog Box Launcher, and then click the Layout tab. Select the Different odd and even check box. Note: Now you can insert the header or footer for even pages on an even page and the header or footer for odd pages on an odd page.

Change the contents of a header or footer On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer. Then click Edit Header or Edit Footer

Tip  In Print Layout view, you can quickly switch between the header or footer and the document text. Just double-click the dimmed header or footer or the dimmed document text.

Header and Footer Design Tab

Remove the headers or footers Click anywhere in the document. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer. Click Remove Header or Remove Footer.

The header or footers are removed from the entire document.

Key Terms

True/False (Mark T for True and F for False)

Answer Key (True/False):

Multiple Choice (Select the best answer)

What are page margins in Microsoft Word?

a) The space between the text and the binding b) The blank space around the edges of a page c) The area where headers and footers are placed d) Lines that guide the placement of text

What are two reasons why page margins are important in a document?

a) To improve readability and appearance b) To ensure enough space for hole punches c) To save ink during printing d) To make the document look wider

What is the default page orientation in Microsoft Word?

a) Landscape b) Portrait c) Continuous d) Sectioned

Which of the following is NOT a way to change the page orientation in Microsoft Word?

a) Using the Page Layout tab b) Using the Layout dialog box c) Clicking the File menu and selecting “Orientation” d) Right-clicking on the document and selecting “Change Orientation”

What are headers and footers in Microsoft Word?

a) Areas at the top and bottom of the page for repeated information b) Styles applied to the beginning and end of paragraphs c) Sections where different page margins can be used d) Special characters inserted to control page breaks

What does page formatting in Microsoft Word refer to?

A. Adding text and images to a document B. Setting font styles and sizes C. Controlling the overall layout and appearance of pages D. Checking spelling and grammar errors

What are the two main options for page orientation in Microsoft Word?

A. Portrait and landscape B. Horizontal and vertical C. Standard and wide D. Letter and A4

What is the default page size in Microsoft Word?

A. A4 B. Legal C. Letter (8.5” x 11”) D. Custom

Which of the following is NOT a predefined margin setting in Microsoft Word?

a) Normal b) Wide c) Narrow d) Custom

Which of the following commands is used to adjust the blank space around the edges of a page?

a) Line Spacing b) Paragraph Formatting c) Font Size d) Margins

What are the two types of page breaks you can insert in Word?

a) Soft Breaks and Hard Breaks b) Section Breaks and Column Breaks c) Line Breaks and Paragraph Breaks d) Header Breaks and Footer Breaks

What is the difference between a Soft Page Break and a Hard Page Break in Microsoft Word?

a) Soft Page Break is for even pages and Hard Page Break is for odd pages. b) Soft Page Break is inserted automatically by Word, while Hard Page Break is inserted manually. c) Soft Page Break adds a line break, while Hard Page Break starts a new page. d) Soft Page Break is for headers and footers, while Hard Page Break is for body text.

How can you control the spacing between lines of text in Microsoft Word?

a) By adjusting the font size b) By using the Line Spacing options c) Through the Paragraph Indentation settings d) There is no specific control for line spacing.

Which command allows you to create multiple columns for text layout in your document?

a) Tabs b) Columns c) Merge Cells d) Text Wrapping

What is the shortcut key to insert a page break in Microsoft Word? a) Ctrl + Enter b) Ctrl + P c) Ctrl + B d) Ctrl + Shift + Enter

Fill in the Blanks

Answer Key (Fill in the Blanks):

Exercises

Review Questions

References and Bibliography