Set left & right margin for first page header/footer

I have a document with Header On. I use a different header on the first page - Same content on first page setting is unchecked.

In Page Style: Default Style dialog, the Header tab contains Left margin and Right margin fields. When I change the values in these margin fields, this affects 2nd and subsequent pages ONLY.

How do I change margins for the header on the first page?

The Same content on … is a simplified way to have different headers on first, even and odd pages, all other attributes being unchanged.

The fact that you need different margins on your first page of the document (emphasised word because you did not use word chapter in your question) suggests that this first page is not a logical part of the rest, e.g. it is some sort of title page followed by the development of the argument.

Then, give built-in page style First Page to your first page (double click on style name in the styles side pane F11 while the cursor is in the first page). It will switch automatically to Default Page at end of page. You can set margins separately in First Page and Default Page.

You can however have a different layout in the first, even and odd pages have a different layout, mainly the margins, in a chapter. For that, you must play with an “advanced” feature of page styles, the Next Style in the Organizer tab. You define up to 3 linked styles.

  • start by creating the style for the running pages (either even and odd, one style each, or common to left and right, a single style)

    In the even/odd case, you must link the styles to each other. Once both are created, go to the Organizer tab and select the other style from the Next Style drop-down menu. This will cause automatic alternation.

  • create the style for the first page

    If you are using the even/odd mode, select Only right in Layout settings in Page tab.

    In the Organizer tab, link the style to the one for left (even) page or to the common style with the Next Style drop-down menu.

This is a direct answer to your question. You are encouraged to think over your document structure. This structure usually maps into a set of page styles. Read the Writer Guide about the page styles to discover what you can do with them.

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