1.14 trees/year can be saved with the smaller margins in Word

The Sunday Source yesterday (Feb 17th 2008) carried a article  by Eviana Hartman describing a project founded by Los Angeles-based actress and writer Tamara Krinsky to conserve paper. Tamara advocates a simple change that anyone can believe in: By altering the printing margin preference for Microsoft Word documents from the standard 1.25 inches to 0.75 inch, Americans can save a whole lot of paper -- and trees, and money.

This is so logical and given the minimal affect on people reading the document this is something we can all easily do. In fact on her blog http://www.changethemargins.com/ Tamara has a petition to get Microsoft to reduce the preset margins in Word.

Changing Margins Instructions

If you have a PC, here's how to change the margins in Microsoft Word:

1. Go to File, then Page Setup.

2. In the Margins tab, type in 0.75 for top, bottom, left and right.

3. Click the Default button at the bottom of the Margins tab. A prompt will ask if you want to change the default settings for page setup. Click Yes.

If you have a Mac:

1. Go to Format, then Document.

2. In the Document dialogue box, click on Margins and fill in 0.75 for top, bottom, left and right.

3. Click OK.

I do not print much paper but this is a very simple way to save paper. On a resume I am not sure how many people agree with me but I increase the margin anyway so that it doesnt appear to be many pages.