To set margins in Google Docs, follow the steps below. Under the Margins heading, enter the desired margin lengths or use the arrow buttons beside each margin to increase or decrease the margins.Click the Filemenu, then click Page Setup.Microsoft Word and Excel 2003 and earlier Click the OK button to set the selected margins.Select one of the preset margin options or click Custom Margins to specify the margins you want the document to have.In the Ribbon bar, click the Layout or Page Layout tab, and then click the Margins option.Setting margins in Microsoft Word and Excel Microsoft Word and Excel 2007 and later Below are some more specific ways to adjust the margins in the program you may be using. In general, the margins of any document are usually adjusted through the properties, page properties, or page layout of the document.
Setting margins in most software programs
This tool comes in handy when you are adjusting a series of spaces at a time.
Use the Line and Paragraph Spacing tool to insert and control the size of spaces in between sections, bullets, and paragraphs.Use the bullet feature for consistent (and easy to adjust) spacing within lists.Click the square until you see the tab stop you want, then click the ruler where you want the tab stop to be. The tab stop menu is located in the top left corner of your Word document, slightly to the left of the ruler.
Set up Left, Right, Center and/or Decimal tab stops to align your content exactly where you want it.
Here are the basic guidelines to follow to eliminate all the “extras” and create a clean document: The dots represent every time the space bar is hit, the arrows represent every time the tab button is hit, and the backwards Ps represent every time enter is hit. The key to identifying what is hidden beneath the surface of your document is to use the Show/Hide button (Ctrl+*) that looks like a backwards “P” on your Home toolbar.įor example, take a look at this portion of a resume with the Show button off:Įverything appears to be aligned nicely, however, turn the Show button on and you see all the extra spaces and unnecessary tabs utilized, which tend not to translate well (meaning your content shifts around the page) and can be very frustrating when trying to make quick adjustments: Have you ever spent hours getting the alignment and spacing just right on your resume, only for it to become mangled after you post it to an online job board? On the surface your Word document may look just right, however you most likely did not employ the best techniques to preserve your formatting when your resume is uploaded, attached, copied/pasted, or translated by another program.