Default margins

[Cheryl Reed]

Why are the default let and right margins set at 1.25?

 

[Mark Tangard]

It's probably to give a 6-inch text width on letter-size paper, which
may be someone's idea of the most pleasing dimension.

If you don't like them, change them. File-> Page Setup-> Margins,
change what you want, then (important) click the DEFAULT button and
answer Yes to the prompt. When you next close Word, answer Yes if
you're asked if you want to save changes to the Normal template.

 

[Mark Tangard]

Ummmm, ok, I give up. What does it mean? It's not the Golden
Rectangle thingie. What is it?

MT

 

[martinique]

Close. It's phi, the golden mean (the ratio to which a fibonacci series
tends, and all that). In theory a page with body text proportioned like that
will have maximum esthetic appeal.

Not being a purist myself, I just use 2cm all round.