IT for Donuts: add headers and footers to Microsoft Word

IT for Donuts: add headers and footers to Microsoft Word

IT for Donuts is our regular Friday feature where we explain a tech term or answer a question about business IT.

This week, see how to add a header and footer to Microsoft Word documents.

Headers and footers explained

Headers and footers explained in this video by Webucator.

Headers and footers are standard items that you can insert at the top and bottom of pages in Microsoft Word.

Unsurprisingly, the header is at the top of the page and the footer at the bottom. Headers and footers often contain page numbers, a company logo or a small amount of text.

Microsoft Word includes an option for headers and footers. This allows you to create a header or footer once, then add it to every page of your document.

How to create a footer

Here's how to create a footer in Microsoft Word. The process for creating a header is exactly the same, except you should edit the area at the top of the page rather than the area at the bottom.

(These instructions apply to recent versions of Microsoft Word.)

1. To edit the footer in your document, scroll to the bottom and then double-click just above the end of the page. This should open the footer.
2. You can now edit the footer just like any other part of your document. First, we'll add a page number.
3. To add page numbers, position your cursor where you want to add the number. (Page numbers will appear automatically on each page.)
4. On the insert tab, choose Quick Parts and then Field.
5. Select Page, then choose OK. You should see a page number appear in the footer. You can use the usual Word tools to change the font, size and alignment.
6. To add a logo, select the Insert tab, then choose Pictures.
7. Now locate an image of your logo on your computer. Double-click it.
8. The logo will be inserted into the footer. You can resize and move it just as with any other image in Word.
9. Once you're happy with the positioning of your logo and page number, double-click outside of the footer area to move back into your document's body.
10. The footer you've created will automatically appear on every page. If you want to change it, just double-click back inside that area.

There are lots of other things you can do with headers and footers, and there's plenty of information about working with them available on the Microsoft website.

Previous IT for Donuts tips:

• Can I create brochures on my computer?
• How to wipe your computers for disposal
• How to upgrade laptop memory