The default settings in Microsoft Word are configured for users that need to create a document that prints on one side, and which might be staples in the corner.
But not everyone that use Word can make use of these settings, and that becomes clear if you are creating a document that you intend to bind in the middle, like a book.
A book binding often makes use of something called a “gutter margin” which is an additional margin meant to account for the lost page space from a book binding.
This setting can be difficult to configure properly, but you can use mirror margins in Microsoft Word 2016 and hopefully give yourself the right page layout.
How to Switch to Mirror Margins in Microsoft Word
The steps in this article were performed in Microsoft Word for Office 365, but will work in most other versions of Microsoft Word as well.
Step 1: Open your document.
Step 2: Click Layout at the top of the window.
Step 3: Click the small Page setup dialog launcher at the bottom-right of the Page Setup section.
Step 4: Click the Pages dropdown menu at the center of the window, then choose Mirror margins.
Step 5: Click the OK button at the bottom of the window to apply your changes.
If you go to the Print window then you can see how the printed document will look.
Note that you can adjust the size of the gutter margins by changing the “Gutter” value at the top of the Page setup window in Step 4 above.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.