Set Up Page Formatting In Document

If you want to start a new section, as you might do if you want to format several pages within a document differently from surrounding pages, click to place the insertion point at the position of the new section. Click the down arrow to the right of the Page Layout ribbon’s Breaks section and select from the available Section Breaks options. Any page formatting that you apply to the section stays in that section.


Display the Page Options
Select the Page Layout ribbon to see your page-formatting options. From this ribbon, you can format your themes, set margins, insert page and section breaks, add line numbers (useful especially in the legal industry), add background colors and watermarks, and adjust the entire document’s indentation and spacing.

Adjust Your Margins
Word’s live preview feature makes changing margins a breeze. Click the down arrow under the Page Layout ribbon’s Margin section and select from the several available margin settings that appear. Word offers common settings, and you’ll usually find one you want to use.

Specify the Margin Measurements
If the ribbon’s provided margin options aren’t to your liking, select Custom Margins to display the Page Setup dialog box. Here, you can enter precise margin settings for each margin, as well as adjust additional page settings such as the orientation.

Adjust the Paper Size
When you change the type of paper you use in your printer, such as going from letter size to legal, you’ll need to select the proper Size option, such as Legal, from the Size list. If you use a nonstandard paper size, one that is not letter, legal, or one of the other options in the Size list, click More Paper Sizes to display the Page Setup dialog box’s Paper page.

Change the Page Orientation
You also may want to change the orientation of your printed page from portrait to landscape. Use the ribbon’s Orientation button to select the proper orientation for your paper.

Change Your Page’s Background Color
Click the ribbon’s Page Color button to add a background color to your page. Although you may want to use colored paper for extensive coloring, you might want to highlight a report page that appears in your document with a light background color.