A header is text that appears at the top of each page, or the pages that you select, in your document. A footer appears at the bottom of your pages. You may want to add pages numbers to the top or bottom of a document, and you can do so from the header or footer area. You do not have to add headers and footers to each page. Word enables you to type them just one time and it automatically adds them to each page.
Follow the steps below to add a header or footer to your document:
- Select View | Header and Footer, to display the Header and Footer toolbar and display an entry area in which you can type the header and footer text
- Type your header text. If you want to type footer text, click the toolbar's Switch Between Header and Footer button to display the footer entry area and type your footer text.
- If you want to add page numbers, the date or the time to your header or footer text, click the appropriate buttons on the Header and Footer toolbar.
- Click the Close button to anchor the header or footer in your document.
Word normally dims header and footer text so that you can easily distinguish between the header and footer and the rest of your document. You can see these items when editing your document within the Print Layout view, but they remain dimmed while in Normal view. If you want to specify that the header or footer are to appear only on certain pages such as odd or even numbered pages, select File | Page Setup | Layout and check the Different Odd and Even or Different First Page check box. You must be in Print Layout view to see headers and footers in their proper places on the page.
If you want to edit a header or footer, display your document in Print Layout view and then double-click the dimmed header or footer text. Word opens the Header and Footer toolbar and enables you to edit the header or footer text.
Carol Bratt is the Office Applications Editor at Daves Computer Tips. She has authored several informative Microsoft Office books and writes the monthly Word Bytes Newsletter with more tips and tricks in each issue. Visit Carol's website for more great Microsoft Office tips and tricks! Click here to see her latest books! You can read more about Carol here.