The "One-Inch Rule" is the most fundamental requirement of CMOS formatting.
Margins: Maintain a uniform 1-inch (2.54 cm) margin on the top, bottom, and both sides of every page.
Note: If your department requires a "gutter" for physical binding (often an extra 0.5 inches on the left), ensure you adjust this in your Page Setup.
Text Alignment: All body text should be Left-Aligned (ragged right). Do not "justify" your text, as this can create awkward spacing between words that makes technical data harder to read.
Line Spacing: The main body of your paper must be double-spaced.
Exceptions: Block quotes, table titles, and figure captions are usually single-spaced.