How to Create a Document Header

How to Create an MLA Document Header

No matter whether the software is MS Word 2003, 2007, or Open Office, creating a document header is rather simple, and can be learned in a minute or two by following the instructions below:

For Word 2007 Users:

1. Click on the “Insert” tab.

2. Click on “Header.”

3. Choose “Blank.”

4. A text box will open.

5. Ignore the box that says “Type text here,” and instead hit your Tab key twice, which will put the flashing cursor almost all the way to the right of the page.

6. Type in your last name, capitalizing only the first letter of your last name.

7. Hit the space bar once, which will create one blank space after your name.

8. Click on “Page number,” then highlight “Current position,” then click on “Plain number.”

9. Click on “Close header and footer.”

10. If you suddenly have a page with no document header, you can click on the “View” tab, then on “Print Layout,” and you will be able to see the document header.

Now you will see that your last name and the page number appear in a rather gray color in the upper right hand corner of your paper. All assignments should include a doc header, regardless of the length of the assignment.

For Word 2003 Users:

1. Open a blank document in MS Word.

2. On your top toolbar click on “View.”

3. Choose “Header and Footer.”

4. A text box will open, and a splash box will open below the text box.

5. Your cursor will be flashing in the upper left hand corner of the text box.

6. Hit your tab key twice, which will put the flashing cursor all the way to the right of the page.

7. Type in your last name, capitalizing only the first letter of your last name.

8. Hit the space bar once, which will create one blank space after your name.

9. Point your mouse to the first icon in the splash box, which is the icon for “insert page number,” and click the icon.

10. On the splash box, click “close.”

For Open Office Users:

1. Open a blank document in Open Office.

2. On your top toolbar click on “Insert.”

3. Hover the cursor on “Header,” and then click “Default.”

4. Hit your tab key twice, which will put the flashing cursor all the way to the right of the page.

5. Type in your last name, capitalizing only the first letter of your last name.

6. Hit the space bar once, which will create one blank space after your name.

7. Click on “Insert” again, and then click “Fields,” and then “Page Number.”

8. Click further down in the body of the paper, so that everything else you write will be in the body of the paper, and not part of the header.

Now you will see that your last name appears at the top of each page, along with the page number, the latter of which is in a rather gray color in the upper right hand corner of your paper. All assignments should include a doc header, regardless of the length of the assignment.