What margins should a resume have?

Margins of about 1.5 to 2.5 cm (roughly 0.6 to 1 inch) on all sides suit most resumes. That gives the text room to breathe, prints safely on almost any printer and still leaves enough space for your content.

Practical guidelines:

• 2 to 2.5 cm (about 0.8 to 1 inch) looks spacious and classic.
• 1.5 to 2 cm (about 0.6 to 0.8 inch) is common for content-rich resumes.
• Below about 1.25 cm (half an inch) the page starts to look cramped and some printers may cut off text.

Keep left and right margins equal, and top and bottom margins similar. If you find yourself shrinking margins to the minimum to fit everything, it is usually better to edit the content. Wide, even margins are one of the simplest ways to make a resume look calm and professional.