2. Docs: Set Up Your Document — Choose Page Size, Orientation and Color

When you work in a document, you can organize it in different ways depending on the information in the document and your intended audience. Documents come with certain settings that you can adjust to fit the style you want for your document.

You can use the default settings, which are the settings your document automatically includes.

Or you can adjust the settings, customizing them to your needs.

In this video, you will set up your document by deciding how to display and print it. You will set the paper size, orientation, and margins. You will also set the page color.

To begin, open your project.

Then, go to the page settings.

First, set the paper size of your document. Letter size is the standard setting for most copying and printing. You might choose a larger size for a poster or a smaller size for an index card. Then, check the page orientation. Page orientation is the direction in which a document is displayed or printed. Portrait orientation is used for most text documents. Most papers you receive for school or work are in this orientation.

Landscape is wider than it is tall and is used for spreadsheets and other documents with tables. Set your margins. Margins are the borders or white space between the edge of the page and the area where you can add and edit text.

One-inch margins are standard for most documents in school and business settings. Set your margins accordingly.

Next, decide on a page color. White is the most common color for academic and business documents. Using white allows the text to be the focus. You can choose a different color, though, if you are creating a poster or flyer for a project. Your page setup is complete for now. But adjusting your settings is something you can do as you continue to work in your document, even after it has been saved. Now, it’s your turn: Open your document, Set the paper size, Set the page orientation, Adjust your margins as needed, And choose a page color.