How to change margins in Google Docs
Regardless of how you put words on paper (physical or virtual), the same design principles apply. When you’re writing something to be read (whether on the best e-readers or on paper), the number one consideration is to make it easy to read. One of the best ways to do this is to give your words some breathing room with some white space.
Setting the margins on the desktop
By default, Google Docs places a 1 inch margin on all sides of the document. That means you have 6.5 inches by 9 inches of 8.5 inch by 11 inch paper to start writing your next novel. But depending on your requirements, it could be either too much or too little. Changing your margins in Google Docs is straightforward and easy to remember.
- click file in the menu at the top of the window.
- Scroll to the bottom of the window and select page setup.
- Enter your desired margins (in inches) in the labeled fields above, bottom, Leftand Right to the right of the pop-up window under the edges Headline.
- click OK.
How to add freehand borders
If you’d rather keep an eye on your margins, you can change the left and right margins (not the top or bottom) by clicking and dragging the gray part of the ruler at the top of the document.
How to adjust margins on iOS
It’s not possible to adjust the margins via the Android app, but it is possible to adjust them on an iPhone or iPad.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Choose page setup from the menu.
- Beat edges.
You have the option to choose one of three preset margins (Narrow, Standard, or Wide) or set custom margins. Beat Apply, and you’re ready to show off those new edges. If you’re wondering, Narrow and Default have half-inch and one-inch margins on each side, respectively. Wide puts a two-inch margin on each side and a one-inch margin on the top and bottom.
The tyranny of style
Now that you know how to change your document’s margins, what should you change them to? If you’re writing an academic paper, you might want to leave the margins alone. APA, MLA, and Chicago style guides mandate a one-inch margin on all sides, as do many universities.
Unless you’re tied to a style guide, you’re free to set your margins however you like, but there are some general recommendations you should follow anyway. Most importantly, limit the number of characters (including spaces) in a line to no more than 90. To get this job done, you need to set the margins (which should be the same left and right) and also choose a different font and font size.
design for the reader
Margins also make it easier to print your document. If you eliminate margins on your resume so you can cram more stuff onto one page, you’ll likely lose part of a page or more when you or a potential employer prints it.
On the other hand, if you increase your margins to increase the page count for a term paper, your teacher could use that extra margin to leave you some select criticisms of your formatting. At the end of the day, you want to make it easy for your audience to read what you’ve written.