cover page assignment design

How To Make A Cover Page For An Assignment? An Ultimate Guide

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Level Up Your Assignment Game!

What if you made a shiny assignment but forgot to make the cover page? Remember that first impression in 'The Devil Wears Prada'? Well, your cover page deserves a standing ovation, not a silent groan from your teacher. But don't worry! Here's an ultimate guide on how to make a cover page for an assignment that will transform your cover page from 'blah' to 'wow' in no time!

What is a Cover Page in an Assignment?

The cover page, your essay's first impression, sets the stage for professionalism. It's where your name, course details, and due date greet your instructor. Though not always obligatory, its polished presentation can earn you favour. Following a good format often leads to higher scores, making it a smart academic move.

Why is a Cover Page Important?

As students, we all know the adage - you never get a second chance to make a first impression. That's where the cover page comes in - it's the gatekeeper to your assignment, and trust us, you don't want to drop the ball here. Mess it up, and your professor might write you off before they even start reading. But nail it? Well, that's like hitting a home run before you've even stepped up to the plate. 

If you are thinking about how to make a cover page for an assignment, a well-formatted, error-free cover page is the key to unlocking your instructor's curiosity. Following the institution's template is just the cherry on top, showing you're a team player who respects the rules of the game. 

How to Make a Cover Page for an Assignment?

When it comes to assignments, the cover page is our chance to grab the professor's attention right off the bat. Why settle for a drab intro when you can learn all about how to design the front page of an assignment? Let's dive into the essential elements of the cover page.

1. Running Header

A running header goes on top of cover pages, separate from the main text. It's often used for APA style. Keep it short, 50 characters max, all uppercase.

Next is the title, explaining your work's content. Write it in the title case, capitalising most words. Avoid abbreviations and aim for 15-20 words. Centre the fully written title on the cover page.

3. Institution/ University Name

Your university or institution name belongs on the cover page, too. Different from the title, it shows readers where you're from and did the research. For reports or presentations, include your workplace or school.

4. Student’s Name and ID

Clearly state the author(s) name(s) and id(s) on the cover page. Include affiliations for multiple authors. For group projects, list all students' names and universities before the title. This ensures proper author credit.

Including the date on your cover page tells readers when you finished the work. Use the exact publication date. This also helps for future reference if someone needs to find work within a certain timeframe.

6. Instructor’s Information

Providing your instructor's details, such as name, designation, and department, shows you completed the work for their specific class. It ensures the assignment reaches the right person and department, avoiding any confusion.

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How to Make A Front Page of an Assignment: APA Format

The APA (American Psychological Association) format heavily emphasises the cover page details. To know how to make a cover page for an assignment in an APA format, follow these specific guidelines.

1. Page Number Placement: Start by placing the page number in the upper-right corner, always as 1, aligning it with the one-inch margin. This will be part of your running head, a feature in APA format, but for student papers, it's just the page number.

2. Title Placement: Move down three or four lines (double-spaced) from the top and centre of your paper's title. Make it bold and use proper capitalization rules for titles.

3. Author's Name: After the title, leave an empty line, then write your name. Keep it simple without any special formatting. If there are multiple authors, separate their names with commas and use "and" before the last author's name.

4. Department and School: Below your name, write your department or division, followed by your school's name, separated by a comma.

5. Course Information: Directly below your school's name, include the course name along with its numeric code.

6. Instructor's Name: Under the course information, write your instructor's full name, including any titles like 'Dr.'

7. Date: Finally, on the last line, write the date. Spell out the month for clarity.

How to Create a Cover Page for an Assignment: MLA Format

In MLA (Modern Language Association) style, you usually don't need a cover page; instead, you list essential details at the start of the first page. If you are wondering how to make an assignment front page in MLA style, here are the instructions.

1. Student’s Name: Begin with the first student’s name on the top-left corner of the page, double-spaced.

2. Additional Authors: If there are more authors, list each on a separate line following the first student’s name.

3. Instructor’s Name: Below the last author’s name, including the instructor’s title, like “Professor Willow,” on a new line.

4. Course Details: Write the course name along with its numeric code on the next line.

5. Date : Following the course details, write the date in full, avoiding abbreviations for months. You can use either day-month-year or month-day-year format.

6. Title of the Paper : Centre the title four or five lines below the date, maintaining double spacing. Remember to capitalise the title according to standard rules, avoiding bold or italics.

How to Design Cover Page for Assignment: CMS Format

CMS (Chicago Manual of Style), a citation method for acknowledging sources in academic papers, grants ownership rights to authors, preventing plagiarism and aiding readers in locating sources. However, mastering one style isn't sufficient due to varying rules.

1. Margins: Leave one-inch margins on all sides of your cover page to give it a neat look and provide space for your text.

2. Font: Stick to Times or Times New Roman font in 12 pt size for a professional appearance that's easy to read.

3. Spacing: Double-space the text on your cover page to make it clear and readable.

4. Text Alignment: Align your text to the left to create a clean, organised appearance, avoiding fully justified text.

5. Indentation: Start paragraphs, block quotes, and bibliography entries with a 1/2" indent for a structured layout.

6. Page Numbers: Number your pages in the top right corner, excluding the cover page. Include your last name to avoid confusion if pages get mixed up.

7. Two-Sided Printing: Confirm with your teacher if you can print on both sides of the paper for eco-friendly printing.

8. Title: Centre the title of your paper halfway down the page for prominence and clarity.

9. Name: Centre your name under the title to identify yourself as the author.

10. Teacher's Information: Write your teacher's name, course title, and date at the bottom, centred in three lines.

11. Font Consistency: Maintain consistency by using Times or Times New Roman font in 12 pt size for the cover page. Avoid using bold, underline, or decorative fonts.

12. Page Numbering and Count: Exclude the cover page from page numbering and total page count. It's not necessary to add a page number to the cover page.

Tips and Tricks to How to Make a Good Cover Page for an Assignment? 

Now that you have understood how to make a cover page for an assignment, it is also necessary to understand the basic tips and tricks before you start writing one. To make a great cover page, follow the steps outlined in the guide.

1. Correct Information

The main tip for knowing how to design a cover page for an assignment is to ensure that the cover page includes accurate details such as your name, assignment title, course name, date, and any other required information to avoid confusion and errors.

2. Formatting

Use consistent formatting throughout the cover page, including font style, size, and spacing, to present a polished and organised appearance that aligns with academic standards.

3. Relevance

If you’re wondering how to write thea front page of an assignment, then include relevant details that provide context. This would help the reader understand the purpose and scope of your work. 

4. Clarity and Conciseness

Keep the content of the cover page clear and concise, using simple language and avoiding unnecessary information to communicate your message effectively.

5. Professional Tone

Maintain a professional tone on the cover page by using formal language and addressing the recipient respectfully, reflecting your commitment to the assignment and your academic integrity.

6. Proofreading

Carefully proofread the cover page for any grammatical errors, typos, or inconsistencies to ensure it reflects your attention to detail and presents a polished final product.

A well-crafted cover page can make your assignment shine like a diamond in the rough. Follow these tips for how to write the front page of an assignment, and you'll impress your professor right off the bat. Don't drop the ball on this crucial first impression; knock their socks off with an A+ cover page material!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do cover pages for an assignment have pictures, what is the difference between a cover letter and a cover page for an assignment, how long should a cover letter for an assignment be, is a 2-page cover letter for an assignment too much, what is the difference between the front page and the cover page.

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Erin Wright Writing

Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Create a Cover Page in Microsoft Word (Built-In and Custom)

By Erin Wright

This tutorial shows how to create a cover page in Microsoft Word. First, we’ll create a cover page using a built-in design. Then, we’ll create a custom cover page that can be reused. Next, we’ll delete a cover page. Plus, the bonus section at the end shows how to remove page number zero from a cover page.

Quick Links:

• How to Create a Built-In Cover Page

How to Create a Custom Cover Page

• How to Delete a Cover Page

How to Remove Page Number Zero from a Cover Page

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 250 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel .

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365 on a PC. These steps will also work in Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010. However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.

How to Create a Built-In Cover Page in Microsoft Word

You can quickly create a cover page using a built-in design.

• Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.

• Select Cover Page in the Pages group.

• Choose a built-in design from the gallery in the drop-down menu. (Hover over More Cover Pages from Office.com for additional options.)

• (Optional) To insert your cover page somewhere other than the top of your document, right-click the built-in design, and then choose a location from the shortcut menu.

• Place your cursor in the sample text, and then type your information.

Pro Tip: To delete a section of sample text, right-click it, and then select Remove Content Control from the shortcut menu.

The built-in cover page should now be part of your Word document.

You can create a custom cover page that can be reused in other Word documents.

• Open a blank document. ( Pro Tip: Press Ctrl + N to open a blank document.)
• Create your cover page, including images if necessary.
• Select all the text and images that should be included in the cover page.

• Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
• Select Cover Page in the Pages group (see figure 2).
• Select Save Selection to Cover Page Gallery from the drop-down menu.

• Type a unique name into the Name text box in the Create New Building Block dialog box. (Cover pages are part of Word’s building block system of reusable content.)

• (Optional) Add additional information into the Description text box, if necessary.

Important Note: I strongly recommend leaving the default settings for the other options in this dialog box.

• Select the OK button.

Your custom cover page should now be added to the Cover Page Gallery.

• Close the document used to create your custom cover page. (You don’t have to save this document.)
• Select Save in the alert box asking if you want to save changes to Building Blocks.dotx.

• Open the document to which you want to add the custom cover page.
• Select the Insert tab (see figure 1).
• Select your custom cover page from the gallery.

Your custom cover page should now be added to your current document.

Pro Tip: How to Delete a Custom Cover Page from the Cover Page Gallery

• Right-click the custom cover page in the Cover Page drop-down menu, and then select Organize and Delete from the shortcut menu.

Caution: Your custom cover page will be automatically selected when the Building Blocks Organizer dialog box opens. Take care not to select another item.

• Select the Delete button in the Building Blocks Organizer dialog box.

• Select the Yes button in the question dialog box asking if you are sure you want to delete the selected building block.

• Select the Close button in the Building Blocks Organizer dialog box.

Your custom cover page should now be removed from the Cover Page Gallery.

How to Delete a Cover Page in Microsoft Word

The following steps show how to remove a cover page from an individual document.

• Select Remove Current Cover Page from the drop-down menu.

Your cover page should be removed from your document.

If your document has page numbers, the page number zero may show up unnecessarily on the cover page. The following steps show how to remove page number zero.

• Double-click the top of any page to open the Header & Footer tab.

• Select Different First Page in the Options group.

• Select the Close Header and Footer button.

The page number zero should now be removed from your cover page.

Related Resources

How to Insert Citations in Microsoft Word

How to Create a Citation with Multiple Sources in Microsoft Word

How to Insert Footnotes and Endnotes in Microsoft Word

Updated July 02, 2023

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How-To Geek

How to create custom cover pages in microsoft word.

A great cover page draws in readers.

Quick Links

How to add a ready-to-use cover page to your word document, how to create a custom cover page in microsoft word.

A great cover page draws in readers. If you use Microsoft Word, you're in luck, because Word has ready to use cover pages. But did you know that Word also lets you create custom cover pages? Here's how to use both.

Word includes some cover page templates you can insert and then customize a bit if you need a quick cover page for your document.

To find them, switch over to the "Insert" tab on Word's Ribbon and then click the "Cover Page" button. (If your window isn't maximized, you might see a "Pages" button instead. Click that to show the "Cover Page" button.)

On the drop-down menu, click the cover page you want to use.

You can now add your document title, subtitle, date, and other information, as well as change the design up a bit if you want.

Creating a cover page from a template is easy enough, but if you don't like any of the built-in designs, you can create your own. You can do this on an existing document, but it's easiest to start with a blank document. We're going to be saving the custom cover page so that you can quickly insert it into an existing document anyway.

You can create your cover page using pretty much any of Word's tools. You can add a background color, picture, or texture . You can also position those elements how you want and even apply Word's text wrapping tools to them.  Make it look however you want.

When it comes to content, you have a couple of options. You can just type the text you want, but that wouldn't make it much of a template unless you want the same text on the cover page every time you use it.

Instead, you can use Word's Quick Parts feature to add document properties to the document. To do that, switch over to the "Insert" tab and then click the "Quick Parts" button.

On the drop-down menu, point to the "Document Property" submenu, and you'll see a bunch of different properties you can insert into your document: author, title, company, publish date, and so on. Go ahead and insert whichever properties you want to appear on your title page.

When you're done, you'll have several fields on your page. When you insert your cover page into a document later on, those fields are populated with the actual properties from the document (and you can also edit them on the fly if you want).

They're super plain to start with, but you can treat them like any other text in Word by applying styles and formatting, centering them on the page---whatever. Here, we've centered them on the page, applied the Title style to the title, shifted things down on the page a bit, and inserted a filigree illustration for a little flair. It's not the prettiest cover page around, but it's a good working example.

Now that we've got our cover page the way we want it, it's time to create a cover page template out of it.

First, select everything in the document (that's why we recommend starting this in a blank document) by pressing Ctrl+A. Next, head back to the "Insert" tab and then click that "Cover Page" button again.

This time, choose the "Save Selection to Cover Page Gallery" command from the drop-down menu.

In the window that opens, give your cover page a name and fill out a brief description if you want. Click "OK" when you're done.

Now when you open the "Cover Page" drop-down menu in the future, you'll see your new cover page template in the "General" section. Click to insert it just like you would one of Word's built-in cover pages.

And that's it. Creating custom cover pages for your document is pretty easy once you know where to look. While you're at it, learn a few more quick tips on putting together professional-looking documents in Word .

The 15 Best Microsoft Word Cover Page Templates

An attractive cover page adds a professional look to your document. These Microsoft Word templates are for that first impression.

If you want to add something extra to your report or essay, an attractive cover page can help. Not only can it bring flair to your document, but it is also helpful. A cover page introduces the paper to your audience with a title, author, date, and summary.

The cover page makes the first impression on your readers and conveys the big picture of the content. So, if you are ready to complete your business or educational paper, here are several Microsoft Word cover page templates.

Templates for Business Reports and Texts

1. business cover page median theme.

This Median-themed template not only gives you an eye-catching cover page but helps you start your report. The cover page includes space for a photo, such as your business location, product or service, or company logo. You can also add the date and an optional subtitle, along with a summary of the contents.

The second page of the template provides headings, subheadings, paragraphs, and a quote section. This template from Microsoft Office is a great choice that goes a little further to assist you with your document.

2. Report Cover Page Executive Design

This design from Microsoft comes with a cover page template and report format in one. The cover page has a tasteful and professional geometric design. You can pop in the report title, subtitle, and abstract like the other templates.

The second page carries over the same black, white, and purple color scheme and offers a sidebar for highlighting key points. You also have headings, subheadings, and paragraphs for a complete package.

So, if this style matches your business, it is a good choice.

3. Formal Cover Page Blue Vertical Design

Maybe you prefer to stay away from a cover page that includes a photo. If so, this basic option from Hloom might be more your style. With a simple blue vertical line design, the cover page also has spots for the title, subtitle or abstract, date, and the author's name.

4. Report Cover Page Dark Blue Weaves

Hloom has another good option in a darker blue. This one highlights the title of your report with large font right in the center. Other great features of this page are the additional text areas. You can include a subtitle, date, or your company motto at the top. Then, at the bottom is a place for the report's author or your summary.

Templates for Educational Essays and Term Papers

5. student paper cover page.

For students who have the flexibility to format their cover page as they like, this Microsoft Office cover page template is an excellent option. You can pop in a photo or other image and add the report title, student name, course name, instructor name, and date. You can also easily remove the areas that you don’t need.

Similar to the business cover letter templates, this one includes a second page for the report. Headings, subheadings, and a bulleted list are there for convenience. But, if you are required to submit your paper in a specific format like MLA or APA, you can use the cover page.

6. Student Report With Cover Page

Microsoft Word gives you this lovely cover page template for a more compact design that includes a helpful second page. Like other templates for students, you can use a photo or image that enhances your report topic. Insert your title and subtitle and then your name, course name, and date.

The second page has headings and subheadings with a bulleted list to assist you in starting your report, research paper, term paper, or essay.

7-9. APA-Style Cover Pages

When your instructor requires an APA cover page to match your paper, Hloom has a few templates. Each option provides the correct line spacing, font size, margins, Times New Roman font style, and a running head. You can use these templates for a paper with one author, multiple authors within the same institution, or authors with different affiliations.

• The first template is for a paper with just one author, and it is plain and straightforward with places for your title, name, and affiliation or institution name.
• These two are suitable for a two-author paper. You will notice that the only difference is the affiliation.

10. Collaborative Cover Page

If you have a paper with more than one author but are not restricted to the APA format, this report template will be handy. You can add a photo, title, abstract, and multiple authors. You can also fill out the areas for class, semester, instructor name, and date. Take advantage of the second page to start your paper right with a convenient formatting option.

Related: Checklist, Schedule, and Planner Templates for Students

Creative Cover Page Templates

11. book background cover page.

When you want to go all out with a book theme, this Hloom cover page is the right way to do it. The cover page has an old-fashioned look with yellowed paper, and you can add your title and a nice-sized summary.

12. Purple Lined Cover Page

Do you like the larger area for the abstract and creative design, but not necessarily the book theme? This purple vertical lined cover page from Hloom is stylish and simple at the same time. Add your title and summary with a bit of flare.

RELATED: How to Make a Custom Cover Page in Microsoft Word

All-Purpose Templates

If none of these templates fit your needs exactly as you like, maybe an all-purpose template is for you. You can use these cover pages for business or educational documents. Remember, you can remove any text blocks that you do not need.

13. Abstract Design Cover Page

This cover page template is an attractive and professional option. The abstract-designed design at the bottom includes a placeholder for the year. This can be modified after you enable the template for editing. You can complete the title, subtitle, author, and company information.

14. Text Background Cover Page

This is an educational cover page with space to enter the title of your report, subtitle, date, and author. You can enter the date from the drop-down calendar by clicking the template. The background is editable text, which makes this template fun to work with. So, you can enter your own words or letters for a unique look or delete them.

15. Basic Cover Page

When basic is best for your report or paper, this neat and clean template is a good choice. There are no fancy images or photo spots, just a splash of color in the line separating the title and subtitle, which can be removed. Locations for the company name, author, and summary are centered and evenly spaced.

Did You Find the Perfect Cover Page Template?

Hopefully, one or more of these cover page templates will help you create beautiful reports for your business or education. If you didn't find what you're looking for, you could create custom templates in Microsoft Word.

MS Word Cover Page Templates

Download, personalize & print, cover page collection.