How to Make Google Docs Landscape (and Change Page Size or Color)

To make a Google Doc landscape, click File > Page setup, select Pages at the top, choose Landscape under Orientation, and click OK. The same box changes the paper size, margins, and page color. Click Set as default to use these settings for every new document.

This guide covers the whole document, a single page, or one section, plus paper sizes, page color, and the Pageless setting that hides these options. The steps come from Google’s Change page settings on Google Docs and Change a document’s page setup: pages or pageless help pages.

How to Make a Whole Google Doc Landscape

1. Open the document.
2. Click File > Page setup.
3. At the top of the window, select Pages.
4. Under Orientation, choose Landscape. If your document has sections, set Apply to to Whole document.
5. Change Paper size, Margins, or Page color if you want.
6. Click OK.

Result: Every page turns sideways, and text rewraps to the wider page. To make landscape the starting layout for new documents, click Set as default before you click OK.

How to Make Just One Page Landscape

Google lets a single document mix portrait and landscape pages, which helps with wide tables, charts, and images.

1. Highlight the text or image you want on a landscape page.
2. Right-click it.
3. Choose Change page to landscape.

Result: The selection moves onto its own landscape page, and the pages around it stay portrait. To switch it back, select it again and choose Change page to portrait.

How to Make One Section Landscape

1. Click where you want the new section to start.
2. Go to Insert > Break > Section break.
3. Click inside the section, then open File > Page setup or Format > Page orientation.
4. Set Apply to to This section, or This section forward to include every section after it.
5. Choose the orientation and click OK.

Result: Only that section changes. Google suggests turning on View > Show section breaks so you can see where each section begins.

Change Paper Size, Margins, and Page Color

• Paper size: There are 11 built-in sizes, including Letter, Legal, Tabloid, Statement, Executive, Folio, A3, A4, A5, B4, and B5. Use Letter for most US printers and A4 in most other countries. There’s no built-in option for custom dimensions.
• Margins: type new numbers for the top, bottom, left, and right edges.
• Page color: pick a background color for every page. Google says you can still change the background color in Pageless format.

Why Can’t I See Orientation or Paper Size?

Your document is probably in Pageless format. Google says page size, margins, and orientation only work in Pages format. To switch:

1. Go to File > Page setup.
2. Select Pages at the top and click OK.

You can also click Format > Switch to Pages format. Google notes that headers, footers, and page numbers are hidden in Pageless format and reappear when you switch back to Pages.

How to Make a Google Doc Landscape on a Phone

In the Google Docs app: open the document, tap the pencil icon to edit, tap the three-dot menu, choose Page setup, and pick Landscape. It notes the change may not be visible until you turn on Print layout in the same menu.

Troubleshooting

• Change page to landscape is missing from the right-click menu: make sure the document is in Pages format and that you selected text or an image first.
• The whole document turned landscape: check Apply to in Page setup. Choose This section if you only want part of it changed.
• You can’t see page edges: Google says to turn on View > Show print layout. If the whole page looks too small on screen, change the zoom level in Google Docs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make every new Google Doc landscape?

Yes. Set the orientation in Page setup and click Set as default. Google says the settings then apply to any new documents you create.

Can a Pageless document be landscape?

No. Pageless documents scroll without page breaks, so they have no orientation. Google says orientation, paper size, and margins only work in Pages format.

Related Guides

• How to add page numbers in Google Docs
• How to insert a page break in Google Docs
• How to run spell check in Google Docs