RE: any way to get white margin around text?

[Drew Adams]

> set-window-margin should do what you're saying.  For instance
> 
>     (set-window-margin (get-buffer-window) 4 4)
> 
> will set the borders on both sides to 4 columns, without affecting the
> buffer content.  The fringe will be between the margin and the buffer
> content though.

`set-window-margins', not `set-window-margin'.