How to Change the Margins in Microsoft Word

Taking Control of Your Document Layout

In Microsoft Word, margins are the blank spaces that run along the top, bottom, and sides of your document. They create a visual border that keeps your text from spilling off the edge of the physical paper when printed.

By default, Microsoft Word sets all margins to exactly 1 inch (or 2.54 cm). While this “Normal” setting is perfect for standard business letters and school essays, there are many scenarios where you need to change it. If you are trying to squeeze a long resume onto a single page, you might want “Narrow” margins. If you are binding a printed thesis into a book, you might need a wider margin on the left side to accommodate the binding rings.

Changing the margins in Word takes only a few clicks, and you can apply the change to the entire document or just a specific section.

Method 1: Using the Built-In Margin Presets

Microsoft Word includes a list of pre-configured margin templates that solve 90% of layout problems instantly.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Look at the ribbon menu at the top of the screen and click on the Layout tab. (In older versions of Word, this may be called Page Layout).
3. Click on the Margins button on the far left side of the ribbon.
4. A dropdown menu will appear showing the available presets:
   • Normal: 1 inch on all sides.
   • Narrow: 0.5 inches on all sides (perfect for fitting more text on a page).
   • Moderate: Standard top/bottom, but slightly wider sides.
   • Wide: Massive 2-inch side margins (often used for academic editing).
5. Click on the preset you want, and your entire document will instantly shift to fit the new boundaries.

Method 2: Setting Custom Margins

If you have been given specific formatting guidelines (for example, a university professor requesting exactly 1.5-inch margins on all sides), the presets will not help you. You need to enter the exact measurements manually.

1. Go to Layout > Margins.
2. At the very bottom of the dropdown menu, click on Custom Margins…
3. The Page Setup dialogue box will appear.
4. You will see boxes for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right. Type your exact required measurements into these boxes.
5. Click OK at the bottom of the window.

What is a Gutter Margin?

While looking at the Custom Margins window, you might notice a setting called the Gutter. A gutter margin adds extra space to the side or top of a document specifically to allow room for physical binding (like staples, spiral rings, or glue in a book).

If you are printing a document that will be bound like a book, you should set a Gutter margin of around 0.5 inches on the Left position. This ensures none of your text gets hidden inside the spine of the book.

How to Change Margins for Only One Specific Page

Sometimes you want your entire document to have Normal margins, except for one specific page in the middle that contains a massive data table requiring Narrow margins. You can achieve this using Section Breaks.

1. Click your mouse cursor at the very beginning of the text where you want the new margins to start.
2. Go to the Layout tab.
3. Click the Breaks button.
4. Under the “Section Breaks” heading, click Next Page.
5. Now, change the margins using the Margins button.

Because you inserted a Section Break, Microsoft Word will apply the new margins to the new section, while leaving the previous pages completely untouched.