How to Change Page Margins in LaTeX
To change margins in LaTeX, load the geometry package and set them in one line: \usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry} gives 1-inch margins on all sides. For different sides, \usepackage[left=1.5in,right=1in,top=1in,bottom=1in]{geometry}. Use in for inches or cm for centimetres.
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Why it happens
The standard classes ship with wide default margins based on classic line-length rules, which often look too generous. The geometry package overrides them cleanly. Do not hand-tweak \hoffset and \textwidth, which is fiddly and error-prone.
Example
% 1-inch margins all around:
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
% Different per side + paper size:
\usepackage[a4paper,left=3cm,right=2cm,top=2.5cm,bottom=2.5cm]{geometry}
% Change margins for one section (e.g. a wide table):
\newgeometry{margin=1cm}
... wide content ...
\restoregeometryFrequently asked questions
How do I set 1-inch margins?
Put \usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry} in the preamble. That sets all four margins to one inch, the setting many journals and thesis offices require.
Can I change margins on just one page?
Yes, wrap the region in \newgeometry{...} and \restoregeometry. Handy for a landscape or wide-table page, or an appendix with different margins.
My university wants a wider left binding margin.
Add a binding offset: \usepackage[left=1.5in,right=1in,top=1in,bottom=1in]{geometry}, or use the bindingoffset key together with the twoside option.
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