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What exactly is the 'gutter'? in Word Page Layout

9/16/2007 1:57 PM PST

Question

	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.

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Suzanne S. Barnhill

9/16/2007 2:53 PM PST

Answer

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!).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Steve_Ray" <Steve_Ray@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:498E0476-EE60-47FA-BF77-684CCD71C56C@microsoft.com...
> 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.
>
>

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Steve_Ray

9/16/2007 3:00 PM PST

> 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.)

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Suzanne S. Barnhill

9/16/2007 5:01 PM PST

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

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Steve_Ray" <SteveRay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A305E5CB-D978-4FB6-A529-B5D533EEF16C@microsoft.com...
> > 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.)

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