Be able to edit page layout including page size, page orientation, page margins, number of columns, column width, spacing between columns, set and remove breaks (page, section and column breaks)

Topic 17 – Document Production: Page Layout (IGCSE ICT 0417)

This note explains how to create and edit the layout of a document in a word‑processing programme (e.g., Microsoft Word). It covers every layout‑related requirement in Section 13 Layout – 13.1 Create or edit a document of the Cambridge IGCSE ICT syllabus and links to the later syllabus sections on tables, styles, proofing, and charts.

1. Page Setup – Size, Orientation, Margins & Gutter

• Page size – physical dimensions of the printed page.

  • Common sizes: A4 (210 mm × 297 mm), Letter (8.5 in × 11 in).
  • Change via Layout ► Page Setup (or File ► Page Setup in some programmes).

• Orientation

  • Portrait – height > width (default for text‑heavy documents).
  • Landscape – width > height (useful for wide tables, diagrams or charts).

• Margins – blank space around the page edge.

  • Normal = 2.54 cm on all sides (default).
  • Narrow = 1.27 cm, Wide = 3.18 cm.
  • Margins can be set individually for Top, Bottom, Left, Right.

• Gutter margin – extra space added to the inside margin for binding (typical value ≈ 0.5 cm). Set in the same Page Setup dialog.
• Advanced options

  • Different first page – unique header/footer on the first page.
  • Different odd & even pages – useful for double‑sided documents.
  • Section start – defines where a new section begins (next page, next odd page, etc.).

Numeric example – column‑width calculation

Two‑column layout on an A4 page with 2.5 cm side margins and a 0.5 cm gutter.

Usable width = page width – left margin – right margin
Usable width = 21.0 cm – 2.5 cm – 2.5 cm = 16.0 cm
For n = 2 columns:
w = (Usable width – (n‑1)·gutter) / n
w = (16.0 cm – 0.5 cm) / 2 = 15.5 cm / 2 = 7.75 cm

Each column is 7.75 cm wide with a 0.5 cm gutter.

2. Headers, Footers & Page Numbers

• Headers appear at the top of each page; footers appear at the bottom.
• Typical contents:

  • Document title or chapter name (header).
  • Page number (header or footer).
  • Date, author name, logo, or company address.

• Why use them? They provide consistent navigation, branding and legal information across all pages of a multi‑page document.
• Inserting

  1. Open the Insert tab → Header or Footer.
  2. Choose a built‑in style or click Edit Header/Footer for a custom design.
  3. Place the cursor where the page number should appear and click Page Number ► Current Position.
  4. To change the format (Arabic, Roman, start at a specific number):

     • Click the page‑number field → Page Number ► Format Page Numbers….
     • Select Number format (1, i, I, a, A) and set Start at if required.

  5. Tick Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages in the Header & Footer Tools design tab.

• Headers/footers automatically follow any change to page size, margins or gutter.

3. Columns – Creating and Adjusting

1. Go to the Layout (or Page Layout) tab.
2. Click Columns ► More Columns….
3. Set the Number of columns (e.g., 2).
4. Enter the Width and Spacing (gutter). Leaving the width blank lets the programme calculate it automatically.
5. Choose where to apply the setting:

   • Whole document
   • Selected text
   • This point forward (useful for section‑specific column layouts).

6. Click OK.

Tip: Verify the column width with the numeric example above.

4. Breaks – Controlling the Flow of Text

• Page break – forces the following text onto a new page.
• Section break – starts a new section, allowing different headers/footers, margins or column settings.

  • Types: Next Page, Continuous, Even Page, Odd Page.

• Column break – moves the following text to the next column without starting a new page.

How to insert a break

1. Place the cursor where the break is required.
2. Choose Layout ► Breaks (or Insert ► Break in some programmes).
3. Select the required type (Page, Column, Section – then the specific option).

How to remove a break

1. Show formatting marks via Home ► Show/Hide ¶.
2. Click just before the break symbol and press Delete (or Backspace if the cursor is after the break).

5. Tables – Basic Creation and Editing

• Insert a table: Insert ► Table ► choose the number of rows and columns.
• Table Tools – Layout tab (appears when the table is selected) provides:

  • Insert – add rows/columns above or below, left or right.
  • Delete – remove selected rows, columns or the entire table.
  • Merge Cells – combine selected cells into one.
  • Split Cells – divide a cell into multiple rows/columns.
  • Cell Size – set exact Height and Width (useful for alignment).
  • Alignment – top, centre, bottom; left, centre, right within a cell.
  • Shading – apply background colour to cells or the whole table.
  • Borders & Gridlines – show/hide, change line style or colour.

• Quick tip: Use AutoFit ► AutoFit to Window to make the table expand to the usable page width, or AutoFit ► Fixed Column Width to keep exact measurements.

[Screenshot: Table Tools ► Layout ribbon showing Insert, Delete, Merge, Alignment, Shading, Borders]

6. Inserting Objects & Text Wrapping

1. Insert the object (picture, chart, shape, SmartArt) via Insert ► Picture/Chart/Shape.
2. Select the object and click Wrap Text on the Format tab.
3. Choose a wrap style:

   • In line with text – object behaves like a large character.
   • Square – text wraps on all sides, leaving a rectangular gap.
   • Tight – text follows the object’s contour.
   • Behind text / Above text – object is a background element.

4. Adjust the distance between the object and the surrounding text (e.g., 0.2 cm) for a tidy appearance.

Graphs and charts are created with Insert ► Chart. The chart opens in a mini‑spreadsheet where data can be edited; once closed, the chart behaves like any picture and can be wrapped using the steps above.

7. Using Styles for Consistent Layout

• A style stores a set of formatting attributes (font, size, colour, line spacing, paragraph indents, and even heading level).
• Applying a style ensures uniform appearance and lets you change the whole document by editing the style once.

Creating / Modifying a style

1. Open the Home tab and click the small arrow in the Styles group.
2. Choose New Style… or right‑click an existing style and select Modify….
3. Set the desired formatting (font, size, colour, alignment, spacing, bullet/numbering, etc.) and give the style a meaningful name (e.g., “Title”, “Heading 1”, “Body Text”).
4. Click OK. Apply the style by selecting a paragraph and clicking the style name.

Quick‑reference checklist for common styles

8. Proofreading & Validation

• Run Spelling & Grammar (Review ► Spelling & Grammar) before finalising the document.
• Visually inspect the document in Print Layout view:

  • Check that columns line up, gutters are even, and text does not overlap headers/footers.
  • Confirm that wrapped objects do not hide important information.

• Use the Navigation Pane (or Document Map) to verify that section breaks are placed correctly.

9. Printing Considerations

• Bleed – extra area (usually 3 mm) beyond the page edge for colour‑to‑edge printing. Set in the printer driver or page‑setup dialog when a document will be professionally printed.
• Printer‑margin limits – most office printers cannot print right up to the edge. Keep critical content at least 0.5 cm inside the printable area.
• Before printing:

  1. Use Print Preview to verify layout, margins, and page breaks.
  2. Check that headers/footers and page numbers appear correctly on odd/even pages.
  3. Print a test page on plain paper to confirm alignment.

10. Quick‑Check Mapping to the Cambridge Syllabus

11. Summary Checklist (What to do before you finish)

1. Set page size, orientation, margins, and gutter.
2. Decide whether you need “Different first page” or “Odd/Even” headers‑footers.
3. Insert headers/footers and format page numbers (Arabic, Roman, start at …).
4. Choose the number of columns; verify column width with the calculation example.
5. Insert required breaks (page, section, column) at appropriate points.
6. Create any tables and apply formatting (merge, shading, borders, cell size).
7. Place pictures, charts or shapes and apply the desired text‑wrap style.
8. Create or modify styles (Title, Heading 1, Body Text) and apply them consistently.
9. Run spell‑check and perform a visual inspection in Print Layout view.
10. Check printer‑margin limits, add bleed if needed, and print a test page.