CV Margins and Line Spacing: The Golden Ratio for Readability

## What Are the Best Margins and Line Spacing for a UK CV? The ideal CV margins are 2cm to 2.5cm on all sides, with body text line spacing set between 1.15 and 1.3. These settings provide the optimal balance between fitting enough content on the page and maintaining the white space that makes your CV readable and professional. ## Why CV Margins Matter More Than You Think Margins frame your content. They are the first thing a recruiter perceives — before reading a single word — because they determine whether a CV looks clean and professional or cramped and desperate. Margins that are too narrow (below 1.5cm) signal that you have tried to cram too much onto the page. The text runs close to the edge, creating a claustrophobic reading experience. Margins that are too wide (above 3cm) waste valuable space and can make a thin career history look even thinner. ## The Golden Ratio: Recommended CV Margin Settings These settings work across Word, Google Docs, and most PDF editors: - [ ] **Top margin**: 2cm (provides space for your name/header without crowding) - [ ] **Bottom margin**: 2cm (prevents content from running too close to the page edge) - [ ] **Left margin**: 2.5cm (slightly wider for binding or hole-punching if printed) - [ ] **Right margin**: 2cm (standard, clean edge) This slight asymmetry — 2.5cm left, 2cm right — is a subtle professional touch borrowed from document design. It accounts for the natural reading flow and potential physical handling of printed pages. ## Line Spacing: The Settings That Affect Scannability Line spacing controls the vertical breathing room between lines of text. It has a direct impact on how quickly a recruiter can scan your CV. ### Within Sections (Body Text) - [ ] Set line spacing to **1.15 to 1.3** for body text and bullet points - [ ] This gives each line enough separation to be read individually without straining - [ ] Avoid 1.0 (single spacing) — it creates a wall of text that discourages reading - [ ] Avoid 1.5 or above — it wastes vertical space and looks like a school essay ### Between Sections - [ ] Add a **full line break** (or 12pt spacing after) between major sections - [ ] This creates clear visual separation between Experience, Education, Skills, etc. - [ ] Consistent section spacing helps the reader's eye navigate your CV structure ### After Headings - [ ] Add **6pt spacing after** section headings (Experience, Education, etc.) - [ ] This creates a slight gap between the heading and the content below it - [ ] Too much space after headings disconnects the heading from its content ## How Margins and Spacing Affect ATS Parsing ATS systems parse text in reading order — left to right, top to bottom. Your margin and spacing settings do not directly affect ATS parsing, but they can indirectly cause problems: - [ ] Extremely narrow margins can cause text to be clipped when the ATS converts your document - [ ] Inconsistent spacing can break the logical grouping of sections - [ ] Non-standard page sizes (anything other than A4) may trigger reformatting Stick to A4 page size (210mm x 297mm) with the recommended margins, and ATS systems will handle your document cleanly. ## Common Spacing Mistakes ### The "Squeeze" Mistake Reducing margins to 1cm and line spacing to 1.0 to fit everything on one page. The result is an unreadable wall of text. A better approach: cut content that does not earn its place rather than shrinking the container. ### The "Stretch" Mistake Increasing margins to 3cm+ and line spacing to 1.5+ to pad a thin CV across two pages. Recruiters spot this immediately. If your content fits on one page, let it. ### The "Inconsistency" Mistake Using different spacing between different sections — 12pt after Experience but 6pt after Education. Inconsistent spacing looks careless. Set your spacing once and apply it uniformly. ## Quick-Reference Settings Card ```copy CV MARGIN & SPACING SETTINGS ───────────────────────────── Top margin: 2.0 cm Bottom margin: 2.0 cm Left margin: 2.5 cm Right margin: 2.0 cm Line spacing: 1.15 – 1.3 Section gap: 12pt after (or one blank line) Heading gap: 6pt after Font size: 10–12pt body, 14–16pt headings Page size: A4 (210 × 297 mm) ``` *For more on CV formatting and visual design, explore our [Format & Layout](/format-and-layout) insights.*