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How to Reduce Section Width and Remove Left-Side White Space in Documents

Nimra Malik Sep 25, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to reduce the section width and eliminate excessive white space on the left side of a three-column layout.

How to Reduce Section Width and Remove Left-Side White Space

Product: WPS Writer
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting a document with a three-column section where the content is pushed to the right, leaving unwanted blank space.
Observed behavior: Excessive white space appears on the left side of the section, and standard editing properties do not easily reduce the container or section width.

Before you start

Ensure your document ruler is enabled (View > Ruler) to easily visualize page margins, column widths, and indentation before making adjustments.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Page Margins and Paragraph Indentation

Use this method if the white space is caused by excessively large left margins or unintentional paragraph indents.

Unwanted white space on the left is most commonly caused by incorrect margin settings for the specific section or paragraph indentation that pushes the text out of alignment.

Select the affected section

Highlight the text within the three-column section that has the excessive white space.

Check paragraph indentation

Right-click the selected text and choose 'Paragraph'. Under the 'Indents and Spacing' tab, ensure the 'Left' indent is set to 0.

Adjust page margins

Go to the 'Page Layout' tab, click 'Margins', and select 'Custom Margins'. Reduce the 'Left' margin value and ensure 'Apply to' is set to 'Selected text' or 'This section'.

Quick Fix: Using the visual ruler at the top of the page allows you to drag the left indent marker manually for instant results.

Solution 2

Modify Column Width and Spacing Settings

Best for situations where the three-column layout itself has unbalanced column widths or excessive padding between columns.

Solution 3

Check for Fixed Template Content Widths

Use this if adjusting margins and columns fails, as the page template might be enforcing a fixed layout container.

Professional Document Formatting

Easily Adjust Document Layouts and Margins with WPS Office

WPS Writer provides intuitive layout tools, a visual ruler, and advanced section management to help you quickly eliminate unwanted white space and design professional documents.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing the three-column layout.
2. Access Page Layout: Navigate to the Page Layout tab on the top ribbon.
3. Customize Margins: Click on Margins > Custom Margins to reduce the left-side whitespace.
4. Refine Columns: Click on Columns > More Columns to precisely adjust the width and spacing of your layout.

Visual ruler for precise, drag-and-drop margin and indent adjustmentsFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats and templatesAdvanced column and section break management for complex layouts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my three-column layout pushed entirely to the right?

This usually happens when the left margin is set too wide, a large left indentation is applied to the paragraph, or there is an invisible text box/table padding forcing the text away from the edge.

How do I change margins for just one section without affecting the rest of the document?

Highlight the specific text or section, open the Page Setup dialog, configure your new margins, and ensure you select 'Apply to: Selected text' or 'This section' before clicking OK.

Does adjusting column width affect my whole document?

Not if you use section breaks properly. By ensuring your columns are contained within a specific section (using Continuous Section Breaks), you can change column widths without altering the layout of the preceding or following pages.

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