How to Add APA Formatting to Your Computer

Margins, Spacing, Alignment and Font

• 1

  Set alignment by clicking on "Format." From the drop-down menu, click on "Paragraph." Set alignment for "Left."

• 2

  Click on "Line Spacing" and select "Double" from the drop-down menu. Double space everything, including references, quotations, title and headings.

• 3

  Format margins by clicking on "File." Click on "Page Setup" and set all margins -- left, right, top and bottom -- for one inch (2.5 cm). Select "Portrait" for the orientation.

• 4

  Set up font. Click on "Format" at the top of the document and select "Font" from the drop-down menu. Select "Times New Roman" for the font, 12 points for the size, and "Regular" for the font style.

• 5

  Set "Character Spacing" at scale 100 percent, spacing at "Normal" and position at "Normal." Set font color at "Automatic" and the underline style to "None."

• 6

  Set "Text Effects" at "None."

Headers

• 7

  Compose an abbreviated title, called a running head, for your manuscript that is a maximum of 50 characters.

• 8

  Click on "View" and select "Header and Footer" from the drop-down menu to insert the running head.

• 9

  Type the abbreviated title or running head in all uppercase letters in the outlined space for the header space, where it will left-justify the insert. Click on page number.

Indentations and Title Page

• 10

  Use the default setting which indents five to seven spaces for the first line in each paragraph.

• 11

  Type the title page with the running head at the top, numbered page 1. Insert the title, author and institution, then highlight them. Click "Format" and select "Paragraph" from the drop-down menu. Choose "Centered" from the alignment choices.

• 12

  Type the abstract on page 2, making it a separate page. Do not indent the abstract.