I am not sure about you, but for me, I always have the chance to get a shared or close-to-print document set in a wrong paper size, especially the default size of Microsoft Word – letter size. However, in my working environment, A4 is our primary document size, but somehow some documents are being prepared without changing the paper size to A4, which is quite troublesome sometimes as the spacing and alignments etc. are all different in both letter and A4 size. And also if the letter sized document printed in A4 paper, there will be a portion emptied due to the letter size. So, one best way of minimizing such problems is to create a document in A4 size as the default size. Here’s how (for Microsoft Word 2007 and above):

1) Navigate to Page Layout

2) Noticed that at the right bottom of that particular ribbon, there’s an option for Page Setup, click on it

3) In the Page Setup, select the paper size to A4, and the most important one is to click on Set As Default at the left bottom of Page Setup

4) It will then prompt you whether you want to continue with the setting, just click Yes

Editor’s Note

Although this seems to be very simple, but I believe many still missed this option, and continue creating document in the different paper size. If you use Microsoft Word, and if you use other paper size as standard size besides letter size, please do change the default setting, as it not only minimize possible problem caused, it could possibly save tree by avoiding wrong paper size printing which most likely will be wasted. Save our trees, save our Earth!