Page Elements
By the Syncfusion DevTutorials team · Last updated
Add headers and footers, insert page numbers, give the first page its own look, and change the page number format.
Look at almost any report or book, and you'll see the same things repeated on every page: a title at the top, a page number at the bottom. These are headers and footers. In this lesson, you'll add them, insert page numbers, give the first page a different look, and change how page numbers are formatted.
Open the Word sandbox and follow along.
Headers
A header is the area in the top margin of every page. Whatever you type there repeats on each page automatically. It's the place for a document title, a company name, or a chapter name.
To add a header:
- Double-click the top margin of any page, or go to Insert > Header.
- The header area opens, and the cursor moves into it. The rest of the page fades.
- Type your header text. You can format it like any other text: center it, make it smaller, and so on.
- To go back to the document, double-click the main page, or press Esc.
Footers
Headers have a partner at the bottom of the page. A footer is the same idea, in the bottom margin. Footers usually hold page numbers, a date, or a short note like "Confidential".
To add a footer: double-click the bottom margin, or go to Insert > Footer, then type.
Type the header or footer once, and Word repeats it on every page. Never type a title at the top of each page by hand: as soon as text moves, those titles end up in the middle of pages.
Page numbers
The most common thing to put in a footer is a page number. Page numbers help readers find their place, and refer to a page in a meeting ("see page 4").
- Go to Insert > Page Number.
- Choose where it goes: the top or bottom of the page, and left, center, or right.
Word inserts a page number field: a special code that shows the correct number on every page. Add or remove pages, and the numbers update by themselves.
You can also place a number by hand: open the header or footer, put the cursor where you want it, and insert a page number from the header and footer options. Type words around it if you like, for example Page before the number.
Never type page numbers yourself. A typed "3" stays "3" on every page. The page number field is what makes each page show its own number.
Different first page
The first page is often a cover page or title page, which usually has no header and no page number.
- Double-click the header or footer to open it.
- Tick Different First Page in the header and footer options.
- The first page now has its own, empty header and footer. Type something different there, or leave it blank.
Every page after the first still uses the normal header and footer.
Formatting page numbers
Once page numbers are in place, you can change how they look:
- Open the header or footer and find the page number format option (in Microsoft Word: Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers).
- Choose a number format:
| Format | Looks like | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | 1, 2, 3 | Most documents |
| Lowercase Roman | i, ii, iii | Introductions and contents pages |
| Uppercase Roman | I, II, III | Formal documents |
| Letters | a, b, c / A, B, C | Appendices |
- Set Start at if numbering shouldn't begin at 1. For example, if a cover page should count as page 0, start at 0 so the next page shows 1.
To format the look of the numbers (font, size, or bold), open the footer, select the number, and use the normal Home tab buttons. The number stays a field, so it keeps updating.
Common mistakes
Here are the most common traps, and how to fix them:
| Mistake | What happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Typing the page number | Every page shows the same number | Delete it and use Insert > Page Number |
| Typing the header text into the body | It moves with the text and ends up mid-page | Cut it and paste it into the header |
| Editing the header while thinking you're in the body | Your text appears on every page | Press Esc to leave the header, then undo |
| Page number shows on the cover page | The cover looks unfinished | Turn on Different First Page |
| Header text too large | The header pushes the body text down | Make it smaller, such as 9 or 10 pt |
Exercise
Now it's time to add page elements yourself.
Click New in the sandbox title bar. Type Cover Page, press Ctrl + Enter, type Chapter One, press Ctrl + Enter, and type Chapter Two. You now have three pages. Do each task and press Check.
What to remember
- Headers (top margin) and footers (bottom margin) repeat on every page.
- Double-click the margin to open them; press Esc to leave.
- Insert > Page Number adds a number field that updates itself. Never type page numbers.
- Different First Page gives a cover page its own header and footer.
- Change the number format (1, i, I, a, A) and the starting number in the page number format options.
In the next lesson, you'll add links to websites and to other places in your document.