Difference between Header and Footer

If you have ever prepared a document, you must be familiar with the terms header and footer. A page consists of many elements. You must have noticed segments and numbers running on each side of the page. These segments usually describe the dimensions of the page and explain the document.The job of the header and footer is to give out general information about the title of the document, author and page numbers. The simplest difference between a header and footer is that a header forms the top border of the page, while the footer is the lower border. The header has its own identity, as it sits at the top most portion of the page, separated from the rest of the body. It generally contains information about the text, such as the title of the document.

The footer, on the other hand, is not significantly different from the header as far as the size is concerned. However, it is mostly designed to list page numbers and the footnotes of the main text, including references and citations. However, there are no hard and fast rules in this regard. One can even use the footer to mention the names of the authors/owners etc.

Instructions

  • 1

    Header

    A set of words placed at the top of a page form the header. There is always notable empty space between the header and the body of a page. In each form of documentation, the header has a different job. In typography for instance, it is used to mention the title of the book, author or the chapter name. In academic writing, the header mostly refers to the title of the page.

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  • 2

    Footer

    The footer is placed right at the bottom of the page. It is generally used for page numbers. However, people may include annotations to the main text and references in the footer, forming what is known as a footnote. The text in footers is often smaller in size compared to the rest of the document.

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