If a Word header or footer is covering your document text, first determine whether the cause is an object in the header/footer, hidden page white space, section settings, or paragraph spacing. The fix depends on what is actually overlapping; changing margins without checking can alter the whole document unnecessarily.
Check whether the page margins are hidden on screen
If the top or bottom margin appears to have disappeared in Print Layout, the page white space may simply be hidden in the view. Microsoft says this is what causes margins to appear cut off. Move the pointer to the page’s top or bottom edge until the double-pointed arrow appears, then double-click the edge to show the white space again. This restores the display; it does not change the document’s page layout. See Microsoft’s instructions for a missing top margin.
Move or change the wrapping of an object in the header or footer
A logo, image, or sensitivity-label mark in a header or footer can collide with nearby text depending on its position, text wrapping, and layer order. Double-click the header or footer to edit it, select the object, and review those settings. An object placed in front of text can obscure it; choose a wrapping option and position that allow the document’s text to flow as intended. Microsoft documents these controls for sensitivity-label content marks in its guidance on modifying header and footer layout.
Check section breaks and header/footer links
If the issue affects only later pages, or a header or footer carries over when it should change, check whether those pages belong to a separate section. A page break starts a new page but does not create section-specific header/footer settings. To give a later section its own header or footer:
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- Place the cursor where the new section should begin.
- Use a Next Page section break to start the section on a new page.
- Open the header or footer in the new section and turn off Link to Previous if it should differ from the preceding section.
- Check the header and footer separately: their links are independent, so disable Link to Previous for each one that should be unlinked.
Microsoft’s section-specific header and footer instructions explain how to configure this behavior.
Adjust paragraph spacing if the body text is too close to the page edge
If the header or footer is not physically covering text, but body paragraphs sit too close to the content boundary, adjust spacing before or after the relevant paragraphs. Select the paragraphs and use the Paragraph dialog or the Layout tab’s spacing controls. There is no single spacing value suitable for every document: check its page size, margins, and content, then review the result in Print Layout. See Microsoft’s instructions for adjusting indents and spacing.
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Choose the fix that matches the symptom
- Top or bottom margin looks cut off in Print Layout: show the hidden white space at the page edge.
- An image, mark, or other object covers text: adjust the object’s position, wrapping, or layer order.
- The header or footer is wrong only in a later section: use a section break and check Link to Previous independently for the header and footer.
- Paragraphs crowd the content boundary without an object covering them: adjust paragraph spacing and inspect the page in Print Layout.
Ribbon labels and controls can vary by Word platform and release, so the exact interface may differ from Microsoft’s illustrated steps.
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