Spacing & Layout

How to Change Margins with the geometry Package in LaTeX

Set every margin with one preamble line: \usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}. Use top, bottom, left, and right when the sides differ. Use \newgeometry when one section needs a different layout, then \restoregeometry to return. This page does not change a PDF by itself. Compile and read the PDF to check the margins.

Set Uniform Margins

The simplest usage sets all margins to the same value. You can also specify the paper size:

\documentclass{article}

% Uniform 1-inch margins on all sides
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}

% Or: A4 paper with 2cm margins
% \usepackage[a4paper, margin=2cm]{geometry}

% Or: Letter paper with 1.5cm margins
% \usepackage[letterpaper, margin=1.5cm]{geometry}

\begin{document}
Your content here with custom margins.
\end{document}

Compile this geometry example

Set Individual Margins Per Side

Specify different margins for top, bottom, left, and right independently:

% Different margins per side
\usepackage[top=2cm, bottom=2.5cm, left=3cm, right=2cm]{geometry}

% For bound documents: use inner/outer instead of left/right
\usepackage[
    top=2.5cm,
    bottom=2.5cm,
    inner=3cm,   % binding side
    outer=2cm    % outer side
]{geometry}

% Also control header/footer space
\usepackage[
    margin=1in,
    headheight=14pt,
    headsep=0.5cm,
    footskip=1cm
]{geometry}

Change Margins Mid-Document and Landscape Pages

Use \newgeometry to change margins for specific pages, and the landscape option for rotated pages:

\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{margin=1in}

\begin{document}

% Normal margins here
Regular content...

% Change margins for a wide table
\newgeometry{margin=0.5in}
Wide content goes here...
\restoregeometry

% Back to original margins
More regular content...

% For a landscape page
\newgeometry{landscape, margin=1in}
Landscape content (wide tables, figures)...
\restoregeometry

\end{document}

💡 Tips

•Name the paper size, a4paper or letterpaper. The default depends on the TeX install.
•Use inner and outer for a bound thesis. The binding side is usually wider.
•\newgeometry changes the layout until \restoregeometry.
•Sign up, paste the sample, and compile. The PDF is where you check the margins.

Questions

How do I set 1 inch margins in LaTeX?

Add \usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry} to the preamble, then compile.

How do I set different margins on each side?

Use \usepackage[top=2cm, bottom=2.5cm, left=3cm, right=2cm]{geometry}.

How do I change margins for one section?

Call \newgeometry{margin=0.5in} before that section and \restoregeometry after it.

Does this page change my PDF?

No. It shows the commands. Sign up and compile the example to see the margins on a PDF.

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