What exactly is the 'gutter'?

[Steve_Ray]

I haven't seen a definition in any WORD help docs of what the 'gutter' refers
to.

How is it different from the 'margin' -- e.g., the 'top gutter' v. the 'top
margin'?

Thanks.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The gutter is extra space added on opposite sides of facing pages, to allow
for binding in duplex (double-sided) documents. You can accomplish the same
thing by selecting "Mirror margins" and making the Inside margin larger, but
sometimes using the gutter solves the problem more graphically. I don't have
enough experience to say what happens when you choose Top for the gutter
position; this refinement was introduced (and explained) in Word 2000, and
I've just finally given away my Word 2000 manuals (a mistake I've regretted
several times already!).

 

[Steve_Ray]

The gutter is extra space added on opposite sides of facing pages, to allow

for binding in duplex (double-sided) documents. You can accomplish the same
thing by selecting "Mirror margins" and making the Inside margin larger, but
sometimes using the gutter solves the problem more graphically.

Thanks. It's hard for me to picture the distinction you're making. Maybe
if I experiment with both, I'll be able to see the difference more clearly.

(I'm guessing that 'gutter' is supposed to be the equivalent of
WordPerfect's 'binding width' adjustment, but the fact that WORD also offers
'mirror margins,' which appears to do the same, is confusing.)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Exactly. "Gutter" (IMO) is for the mathematically challenged. For a
situation when it can be really helpful in visualizing a solution, however,
see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/BookletPrinting.htm