Use the Ruler to Adjust Margins in Google Docs
The easiest way to adjust margins in Google Docs is by shifting over the ruler. These guides essentially set the “off limits” area for each page of your document, and shifting these rulers automatically readjusts any text you’ve already typed. To use the ruler to adjust your Google Docs margins, follow these steps: Once the rulers are displayed on both the top and left side of the page, you can decide whether you want to adjust the horizontal margins (controlled from the top of the page) or the vertical margins (controlled from the left side of the page). You’ll see an indicator in the form of a blue line as the margin moves to your desired location.
If you want to adjust the margin for the entire page, drag both the rectangle and triangle together by pressing down and dragging just above the rectangle. (You can also click on the gray portion of the ruler before dragging.) Wait for the cursor to morph into a horizontal arrow before you click and drag.If you want to adjust the margin for specific paragraphs, drag only the rectangle or the triangle to adjust the margin.
The area outside the margins is highlighted in gray on the ruler, while the area within appears white. The cursor does not change when you hover over the white portion of the ruler or over the gray portion beyond the limits of the ruler.
Use Page Setup to Set Custom Margins
While the ruler adjustments give you lots of flexibility in setting margins, they aren’t always the most practical route. If you need specific measured margins, use Page Setup to set custom margins.
How to Set 1-Inch Margins in Google Docs
If you have your Google account set in a way that the default language uses the metric system, then you may find it hard to set 1-inch margins in Google Docs. However, you can simply do the following:
How to Fix Default Margins in Google Docs
If you use Google Docs on a regular basis, you may want to set custom margins as the default. Similarly, if you somehow mess up your margins, you may want to reset them to default settings. Here’s how to fix default margins in Google Docs.
How to Change Google Doc Margins on Mobile
One of the biggest perks of Google Docs over other word processors like Microsoft Word is that it’s easy to edit documents on Android or iOS devices. Because of this, many people use Google Docs on their mobile devices.
Changing Google Doc Margins on iOS
Here, you will have the following margin options to select from.
Narrow (0.5 inch margins)Default (1-inch margins)Wide (2-inch margins on the sides)Custom (enter a custom number)
Changing Google Doc Margins on Android
If you use an Android device, unfortunately you cannot change the page margins via mobile. Instead, all you can change in terms of page setup is the page orientation and page size. Image credit: Vlada Karpovich via Pexels
