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Page margins are the blank space around the edges of the page. In general, you insert text and graphics in the printable area inside the margins (margin: The blank space outside the printing area on a page.). However, you can position some items in the margins — for example, headers, footers, and page numbers.

Note  You can display page margins on the page. On the Tools menu, click the View tab, and then, under Print and Web layout options, select the Text boundaries check box. The text boundaries are displayed in print layout view (print layout view: A view of a document or other object as it will appear when you print it. For example, items such as headers, footnotes, columns, and text boxes appear in their actual positions.) or Web layout view (Web layout view: A view of a document as it will appear in a Web browser. For example, the document appears as one long page (without page breaks) and text and tables wrap to fit in the window.).

Microsoft Word offers several page margin options. You can:

• Use the default page margins or specify your own.

• Add margins for binding. Use a gutter margin to add extra space to the side or top margin of a document you plan to bind. A gutter margin ensures that text isn't obscured by the binding.

Gutter margins

Mirror margins

• 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 (that is, the inside margins are the same width, and the outside margins are the same width).

• Add a book fold. Using the Book fold option in the Page Setup dialog box, you can create a menu, invitation, event program, or any other type of document that uses a single center fold.

Word inserts a single, center book fold

Once you set up a document as a booklet, you work with it just as you would any document, inserting text, graphics, and other visual elements.

How-to information   Find links to more information about changing page margins under See Also, which is visible when you are connected to the Internet.