How to Create Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word

Create a Header
1. The header will appear on every page in your document. Do not confuse the header with the heading, which should only appear on the first page. The header is simply intended as a reference point, not as a source of detailed author information. If you are writing a research paper for an English class, MLA format requires that you include only your last name and the page number for the document. This information should appear at the top right corner of the page, 1/2 inch from the top. Using Microsoft Word, you can set up the document to automatically place the correct information where you need it on every page.First, you need to open your document. The document does not have to be completed in order to create the header.
2.
Second, click 'Insert' at the top of the page. Find the 'Header' button and click. A drop down menu will appear listing several options for creating formatted headers. This option can be useful if you are creating a resume, a memo, or some other document. However, if you are creating a research paper for your English class, you must choose the plain one at the top. MLA format does not allow for decoration.
3.
Once you have chosen the plain format header, a line will divide the header from the rest of the page, and a small box will appear with the words 'Type Text' in brackets. Click those words. Now you will have a pretty blue box in which to type your information. However, the box is not aligned on the right margin where it needs to be. To position it correctly, click 'Home' at the very top of the window to return to the original Word toolbox. Now, you can align right by clicking the appropriate box in the 'Paragraph' section of the toolbar.
4.
Now that your text box is in the correct place in your header, you can type your last name and one space. There is no need to include a dash, comma, or any other punctuation here.
5.
Next, you need to insert the page number, but you want to set Word to automatically put the correct number on each page. If you simply type in the number '1', Word will place a '1' on every page. To avoid this mild catastrophe, click 'Header & Footer Tools' at the very top of the page. In this toolbar, you will find a 'Page Number' button. Click this button to get the drop down menu.
6. Choose 'Current Position' to place the page number right after your name in the header. Another drop down menu will appear, and you will choose 'Plain number.' Again, while the other options are nice for resumes and other documents, for an MLA formatted research paper, you must avoid elaborate decoration and stick to the simple, plain information.
7. Now you have the correct information, but the size and font may not be correct for MLA. Highlight your last name and the number in the header. Click 'Home' at the top of the page again to return to the original Word toolbox. Change the font to 'Times New Roman' or 'Arial' and the size to 12 to match the font and size of the rest of your paper.Congratulations! Now you have a correct MLA header and can avoid losing points for small formatting errors! Good luck!
Create a Footer
8. You may want to create a footer for some documents. This process is fairly simple and can add a professional appearance to your work.First, open your document in Microsoft Word. Again, the document does not need to be complete.
9. Next, click 'Insert.'
10. This time, click 'Footer' instead of 'Header.' Scroll through the drop down menu and choose the footer appropriate for your document. Note that some options include color, so choose according to your printing capabilities.
11. Since this section is not required (nor accepted) for an MLA paper, you may include whatever information you would like to appear on every page of the document. To include page number, click 'Page Number' from the toolbar and scroll through the menu to choose your desired format.