What Is Page Orientation in MS Word?

In this section, we’ll talk about what is a page orientation in MS Word and how to change a page orientation in a word document.

This tutorial shows how to use Microsoft Word to change page orientation. First, we’ll change from portrait to landscape. Then, change from landscape to portrait. Lastly, we will change orientation for single page.

What Is Page Orientation in MS Word?

Page orientation, also called print orientation, is how the page setup decides where things go on a page. Most programs let you choose whether the page is in portrait or landscape mode. In the picture, you can see an example of how to set the paper orientation for a printer in Microsoft Windows.

Additionally, page orientation is how a rectangular page is set up so that it can be read normally. Portrait and landscape are the two most common ways to set up a page.

Further, page orientation is a very handy feature offered by Microsoft Word. It is utilized while printing pages. Word has two options for page orientation: landscape and portrait.

Types of page orientation

The term portrait orientation comes from visual art terminology and describes the dimensions used to capture a person’s face and upper body in a picture; in such images, the height of the display area is greater than the width.

The term landscape orientation also comes from the world of visual art, where pictures that are wider than they are tall are needed to show the horizon from an artist’s point of view.

  1. Portrait page orientation: In this case, the page width is 8.5 inches and the page height is 11 inches. Therefore, the height exceeds the breadth, and the page dimensions are 8.5 inches by 11 inches.
  2. Landscape page Orientation: the page’s width is 11 inches and its height is 8.5 inches. Therefore, the breadth exceeds the height, and the page dimensions are 11 inches by 8.5 inches.

What is page layout?

Page layout is the overall look and layout of your document. It includes things like how much text you will put on each page, the size of the paper you will print on, and so on.

How to change page orientation in MS Word

Time needed: 1 minute

Follow the steps below to change the page orientation for an entire document.

  1. Click the Layout tab in the Ribbon, with the Word document open,

    Select Layout Tab

  2. In the Page Setup section, click the Orientation option.

    Page Orientation

  3. Click the Portrait or Landscape option. Portrait is usually selected by default.

    Portrait and landscape Orientation

Change Page Orientation from Portrait to Landscape

When we open MS-Word or a document in general, the page is only in the portrait orientation. In this case, we need to change the orientation of the page from Portrait to Landscape.

So, to do this operation, we will follow a set of steps, each of which has instructions and a picture to help.

  • Step 1: First open MS-Word on your PC.
  • Step 2: Now, Open the document or create a new one in which you want to perform this operation.
  • Step 3: Now, go to the “Layout” tab.Click layout tab
  • Step 4: Now, Navigate to the “Page Setup” section of the Page Layout tab.Page Setup
  • Step 5: Select the Orientation option. As illustrated in the image below. Portrait and Landscape are the two options. Choose Landscape as it is already in Portrait orientation.Landscape Page Orientation
  • Step 6: So, the Page orientation is successfully changed to Landscape.

How to change from Landscape to Portrait in an MS Word Document

If the document or file is having Landscape page orientation. So, in this case, we have to change the page orientation to Portrait orientation. So, for performing this operation we will follow certain steps, in which instructions are given with a diagram for help.

Steps to follow:

Step 1: First open MS-Word on your PC.

Step 2: Next, open or create a new document in which you want to perform this operation.

Step 3: Now, go to the “Layout” tab.

Click layout tab
Click layout tab

Step 4: Then, In the Page Layout tab, go to the “Page Setup” section.

Page Setup
Page Setup

Step 5: Select the Orientation option. As illustrated in the image below. Portrait and Landscape are the two options. Choose portrait as it is already in landscape orientation.

Change to Landscape orientation
Change to Portrait orientation

Step 6: So, the Page orientation is successfully changed to Portrait.

So, This is all about Page orientation in MS-Word. It is easy to learn, just keep practicing it. 

Change orientation for a single page

To change the page orientation for a single page in the document, follow the steps below.

  1. Navigate to the page where you want to change the orientation in the Word document.
  2. Highlight the text and pictures on the page. The different orientation is set by Microsoft Word to the highlighted text.
  3. Click the Layout tab in the Ribbon while the text is still selected.Click layout tab
  4. Click the small icon with an arrow pointing down and to the right in the Page Setup section.
  5. Under Orientation in the Page Setup window that opens, select Portrait or Landscape.
  6. Click the Apply to drop-down menu and select the Selected text option under Preview.
  7. Click OK to change how the highlighted content and page are displayed.Change Single Page Orientation

Summary

In summary, we’ve learned what page orientation is and how to change the orientation of an entire document or single page, as well as what those terms mean. Furthermore, we understand that there are different ways of changing page orientation that can be used in our document to make it more presentable and professional.

Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about formatting pages, see the previous tutorial on what is page break and how to remove and insert blank page as well as what is cover page and how to create it in Microsoft Word, which are still part of formatting your documents. You can browse those guides if you are having a hard time formatting your documents.

We hope this tutorial helps you as you format your documents in MS Word.


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