By default, a new document's margins are set to Normal, which means it has a one-inch space between the text and each edge. Depending on your needs, Word allows you to change your document's margin size. To format page margins: Word has a variety of predefined margin sizes to choose from. Select the Layout tab, then click the Margins command. When I go to the Control Panel and hit the Settings button, the paper size is always set at 4x6. It won't allow me to change the paper size to 8x11 What is the problem. I moved the paper size on back of the printer and even reloaded the printer software. The default is 8.5 inches by 11 inches, the standard “Letter” size for US paper printing (215.9 x 279.4mm). You can see the result of this setting in the digital rulers on the page, with the default 1-inch margins resulting in a 7.5-inch horizontal ruler and a 10-inch vertical ruler.
- Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Macbook Pro
- Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Mac Os
- Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Macs
- Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Mac Download
Lesson 12: Page Layout
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Introduction
Word offers a variety of page layout and formatting options that affect how content appears on the page. You can customize the page orientation, paper size, and page margins depending on how you want your document to appear.
Optional: Download our practice document.
Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Macbook Pro
Watch the video below to learn more about page layout in Word.
Page orientation
Word offers two page orientation options: landscape and portrait. Compare our example below to see how orientation can affect the appearance and spacing of text and images.
- Landscape means the page is oriented horizontally.
- Portrait means the page is oriented vertically.
To change page orientation:
- Select the Layout tab.
- Click the Orientation command in the Page Setup group.
- A drop-down menu will appear. Click either Portrait or Landscape to change the page orientation.
- The page orientation of the document will be changed.
Page size
By default, the page size of a new document is 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Depending on your project, you may need to adjust your document's page size. It's important to note that before modifying the default page size, you should check to see which page sizes your printer can accommodate.
To change the page size:
Word has a variety of predefined page sizes to choose from.
- Select the Layout tab, then click the Size command.
- A drop-down menu will appear. The current page size is highlighted. Click the desired predefinedpage size.
- The page size of the document will be changed.
Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Mac Os
To use a custom page size:
Word also allows you to customize the page size in the Page Setup dialog box.
- From the Layout tab, click Size. Select More Paper Sizes from the drop-down menu.
- The Page Setup dialog box will appear.
- Adjust the values for Width and Height, then click OK.
- The page size of the document will be changed.
Page margins
A margin is the space between the text and the edge of your document. By default, a new document's margins are set to Normal, which means it has a one-inch space between the text and each edge. Depending on your needs, Word allows you to change your document's margin size.
To format page margins:
Word has a variety of predefined margin sizes to choose from.

- Select the Layout tab, then click the Margins command.
- A drop-down menu will appear. Click the predefined margin size you want.
- The margins of the document will be changed.

To use custom margins:
Word also allows you to customize the size of your margins in the Page Setup dialog box.
- From the Layout tab, click Margins. Select Custom Margins from the drop-down menu.
- The Page Setup dialog box will appear.
- Adjust the values for each margin, then click OK.
- The margins of the document will be changed.
Alternatively, you can open the Page Setup dialog box by navigating to the Layout tab and clicking the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group.
You can use Word's convenient Set as Default feature to save all of the formatting changes you've made and automatically apply them to new documents. To learn how to do this, read our article on Changing Your Default Settings in Word.
Challenge!
- Open our practice document.
- Change the page orientation to Portrait.
- Change the page size to Legal. If Legal size is not available, you can choose another size such as A5.
- Change the margins to the Narrow setting.
- When you're finished, your document should be one page if using Legal size. It should look something like this:
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Lesson 17: Changing Your Default Settings in Word

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Changing your default settings in Word
There may be certain settings in Word that get on your nerves, like default settings that you find yourself changing over and over—the paragraph spacing, the font size—each time you start a new document.
Maybe you prefer a different font style instead of the default Calibri. Maybe you like all of your documents to have narrower margins so you can fit more information on the page. Maybe you even work for a company that has very specific document standards—regarding the color scheme or layout—and you're tired of changing these settings every time.
Luckily, you can customize many of the default settings in Word. You just have to know where to look.
Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Macs
Using Set as Default
Cant Set Default Layout To 8.5 X 11 In Word For Mac Download
You can't change the default settings for everything in Word, but there are certain tools and features that give you this option. Popular examples include:
- Font
- Paragraph spacing
- Line spacing
- Margins
- Page orientation
To find out if you can customize the default settings for a certain element, look for an arrow in the bottom-right corner of the group. This will open a dialog box where you can access all of the basic settings, plus some more advanced ones that you won't find on the Ribbon.
Next, look for a button near the bottom of the dialog box that says Set as Default. All you have to do is click this button, and Word will assign your current settings—like the font or font size you've chosen—as the new default for this particular element.
Finally, Word will ask whether you want to set this as the default for this document only, or for all documents based on the Normal template (in other words, all documents in the future). Choose the second option, and Word will use these settings from now on.
If you don't have a lot of experience with Word, you may want to stick with the original default settings—any changes you make will be permanent, unless you change them back manually. But for more experienced users, this can be a great way to set up Word exactly the way you want.
If you are experiencing a problem getting your default changes to save, it might be an issue with your computer or your copy of Word. For help, we recommend visiting Microsoft's support site.
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