Adjust a Page Border

Fix the box

There is a border around your title page, but the bottom line doesn't print. Usually the reason is that the bottom line (or on a landscape page, the right border) falls within your printer's unprintable area. Here are some suggestions for finding just where that area is and how to adjust your border so that it will print.

• Find your printer's unprintable area
  
  Your printer manual may specify the unprintable areas. Inkjet printers, in particular, often have a large unprintable area at the bottom of the page.
  
  Here's a way to discover them for yourself in Word.
  
  
  1. Choose File>Page Setup>Margins tab. Change all four margin settings to 0". Choose OK.
     
     
  2. You're told that one or more margins are set outside the printable area of the page. Choose Fix.
     
     
  3. Word adjusts the margin settings to your printer's minimum values. Jot down your printer's settings for your future reference, then Cancel the dialog.
  
  
• Adjust the Page Border
  
  
  1. Set the insertion point on the page that's bordered, then choose Format>Borders and Shading> Page Border tab. Choose Options.
     
     
  2. At the Border and Shading Options dialog, note that the default settings are to have all four borders set to 24 pt (which is 1/3"), and to have Measure from: set to Edge of Page.
     
     
  3. To maintain the measurement from the edge of the page, yet move the borders in more toward the center, set the measurements for each of the four margins to 31 pt (the maximum allowed).
     
     For an alternative setting, set Measure from: to Text. Now the Margin settings measure outward from your text margins. You can set the Margin values anywhere from 0 pt to 31 pt.
     
     
  4. Click OK>OK. Use the Standard toolbar's Print Preview tool to evaluate your results.
  
  

The border is measured from your text margins, not from your actual text. So, if your bottom border still doesn't print, increase the size of your bottom margin, then adjust the other margins as needed for a balanced appearance.



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