Adjusting Margins in Print Preview

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 8, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

One of the last steps that many people take with a document before printing is to examine it using Print Preview. This allows you to examine the overall look of your document, without wasting paper. If desired, you can change the margins used in your document by following these general steps:

  1. View your document using Print Preview, as normal.
  2. Make sure the Ruler is displayed in the Print Preview mode. You can do this by clicking on the View Ruler button on the toolbar, the Show Ruler check box on the toolbar, or by choosing Ruler from the View menu. (The exact option you use depends on the version of Word you are using.)
  3. To adjust the top and bottom page margins, position the mouse pointer over one of the places on the vertical Ruler where the Ruler changes color (between gray and white or blue and white). The mouse pointer changes to a two-headed arrow, which you can drag to set a new margin.
  4. To adjust the left and right page margins, use the same technique with the same spots on the horizontal Ruler at the top of the Print Preview window. Finding the spot on the right side of the Ruler is often easier than doing so on the left side because of the paragraph indent markers.
  5. Exit Print Preview or print your document, as desired.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (630) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Conditional Formatting Based on Date Proximity

Conditional formatting can be used to draw your attention to certain cells based on what is within those cells. This tip ...

Discover More

Fixing the Decimal Point

Don't want to always type the decimal point as you enter information in a worksheet? If you are entering information that ...

Discover More

Incomplete Table of Contents

Word allows you to easily add a table of contents to your documents. If you find that some of your document headings ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Getting Identical Margins

Need to get the margins on your document exactly right? It can be a challenge to get the Word settings where you need ...

Discover More

Understanding Mirror Margins

Rather than have the margins of your documents always be the same, you can use what Word calls "mirror margins." Here's ...

Discover More

Adding a Background to Your Document

Document backgrounds come in handy if you plan on converting the document to a Web page. Here's how you can add a ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 8 + 3?

2021-05-08 13:01:58

Rohn S, MVP 2012-2018

I'm surprised you either extend the versions covered by this tip, it works in ribbon versions, or have a link to a separate article.


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.