Two related questions concerning newsletter format

[MaryL]

I have two more questions concerning the church newsletter I am trying to
format. I'm a newbie to Word (but a long-time user of WordPerfect), so I am
familiar with creating documents - including some complex documents - but am
not at all familiar with Word features. I like some parts of the newsletter
that was previously used, so decided to try to modify that. It is set in
three columns. The first column on the first page is shaded and includes a
type of index to the newsletter. The title of the newsletter spans the next
two columns.

I scanned a drawing of the church and inserted it above the second two
columns. That was successful and looks good. The problems I am having are
these:

(1) On the last page, text continues to be divided into three columns, even
if there is only a small amount of text. This looks like what WordPerfect
called balanced newspaper, or possibly parallel, columns. Instead, I would
like for the column to extend down the page because the current setting is
breaking a single paragraph into three columns if the text for the newspaper
does not fill the page. Is there any correction I can make for this? I have
not found any way to indicate the *type* of columns wanted in Word.

(2) As a WP user, I am used to Reveal Codes. Is there any way in Word to get
an indication of what codes are being used? I have tried Show, but it only
seems to indicate paragraphs and section/page breaks. I don't see any
reference that even shows the beginning of column settings, and certainly
not to types.

Incidentally, I bought two Office manuals. Neither helped with these
questions, and I did not find the answer in the help files. The manuals put
more emphasis on using columns within tables, and that is not what I need.

Thanks for any help you can provide. This is my third time to request
information, and this group has been very responsive. I really appreciate
it.

MaryL

 

[MaryL]

I have two more questions concerning the church newsletter I am trying to
format. I'm a newbie to Word (but a long-time user of WordPerfect), so I
am familiar with creating documents - including some complex documents -
but am not at all familiar with Word features. I like some parts of the
newsletter that was previously used, so decided to try to modify that. It
is set in three columns. The first column on the first page is shaded and
includes a type of index to the newsletter. The title of the newsletter
spans the next two columns.

I scanned a drawing of the church and inserted it above the second two
columns. That was successful and looks good. The problems I am having are
these:

(1) On the last page, text continues to be divided into three columns,
even if there is only a small amount of text. This looks like what
WordPerfect called balanced newspaper, or possibly parallel, columns.
Instead, I would like for the column to extend down the page because the
current setting is breaking a single paragraph into three columns if the
text for the newspaper does not fill the page. Is there any correction I
can make for this? I have not found any way to indicate the *type* of
columns wanted in Word.

(2) As a WP user, I am used to Reveal Codes. Is there any way in Word to
get an indication of what codes are being used? I have tried Show, but it
only seems to indicate paragraphs and section/page breaks. I don't see any
reference that even shows the beginning of column settings, and certainly
not to types.

Incidentally, I bought two Office manuals. Neither helped with these
questions, and I did not find the answer in the help files. The manuals
put more emphasis on using columns within tables, and that is not what I
need.

Thanks for any help you can provide. This is my third time to request
information, and this group has been very responsive. I really appreciate
it.

MaryL

One additional item: My problem could also be solved if there is a way to
block protect some text so it will be kept together in a single column. My
real objection to what I described is that a single paragraph will be split
into three columns with the present setting (or, more likely, due to my lack
of knowledge).

MaryL

 

[Graham Mayor]

1. From your description you would be far better using a three column
borderless table (which will also address your separate question).
2. There are no codes to reveal in Word, which is a style based application.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[MaryL]

1. From your description you would be far better using a three column
borderless table (which will also address your separate question).
2. There are no codes to reveal in Word, which is a style based
application.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

Since there are no codes, can you tell me how to delete certain features?
For example, the form that has been used up until this time has what I would
call a "graphic line" embedded under only one part of the newsletter. If I
move that section, the graphic line moved with it -- and I have been unable
to delete it. Deleting text above and below it does not delete it, and
nothing shows up when I click on "Show" (not a code, as you explained). So,
how to get rid of it???

Thanks,
MaryL

 

[Graham Mayor]

It's a border - see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/CantGetRidOfLine.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[MaryL]

It's a border - see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/CantGetRidOfLine.htm

That was it. The border (what I called a graphic line) is gone. Thanks!
Now, I'll have to try the borderless table, as you suggested. I do need to
be able to insert photos with borders around them, though. Does Word only
have the one type of columns, with columns always flowing across the page
and balanced?

Thanks for the help.
MaryL

 

[Graham Mayor]

Word has only one type of column for the rest it uses tables.
You can insert pictures in the columns of a table (clue: - set the table
column width to fixed or it will expand to accommodate the picture), but
pictures that span columns are rather more complicated requiring the use of
extra merged columns and rows. For such a layout Publisher would be a whole
lot simpler.
--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Terry Farrell]

Yes; snaking columns as in a Newspaper or fixed as in a table. Though you
can use Text Boxes and have text flow from box to box.

By balanced columns, do you mean equal column widths? In which case, No. If
you look at the Insert Columns dialog box, you can set up columns with
unequal width or space as you want.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

1. The second page probably ends with a Continuous section break. If you
removed that break, your columns would not be balanced, but, since the
section break contains the section formatting, you'd probably lose the
columns altogether. Other approaches are:

a. Insert a column break (Ctrl+Shift+Enter) at the end of the text you
want to keep in the first column. You'll need to have at least some text (an
empty paragraph) following the column break.

b. In Tools | Options | Compatibility, check the box for "Don't balance
columns for Continuous section starts."

In either case, you may find that the last column/page behaves
unpredictably. I have a two-column club directory that sometimes ends up
with just one member listed on the last page, and Word has a maddening
insistence on splitting that entry even though it's formatted as "Keep lines
together" and followed by an empty paragraph, with "Don't balance columns"
enabled.

2. See http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm for the closest you
can get; also see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/WordVsWordPerfect.htm
for why you can't get any closer.

 

[MaryL]

No, I did not mean equal column widths. I was hoping for column settings
such as I used in WordPerfect where I could use Parallel or Balanced
Newspaper columns only when I wanted the columns to span the page even if I
did not have a full page of text. That is what Word seems to use. If I do
not want the three columns to span a page when only a small amount of text
flows to the last page, I could use Newspaper columns. That setting permits
one column to "end" without forcing it into three columns. It looks like I
will need to use tables, but it's going to be difficult because I am
modifying a formatted newsletter that has gone through several generations
(and untold numbers of people using it).

MaryL

 

[MaryL]

Thanks. I'll see what I can do with tables. The newsletter format I was
using was created long ago and had probably been modified by various people,
so that makes it difficult. I simply modified it by scanning a drawing of
the church and applying that to the existing document. Publisher is out of
the question because the church is using very old equipment and software.
They still have Word 2003 (I'm using 2007), so I saved the basic newsletter
as a 97-2003 document. It is not even a true template, just a
copy-and-paste type of job.

MaryL

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't think you'll find tables very satisfactory for this purpose. Please
see my previous reply, which addresses your issue.

 

[MaryL]

Your suggestions look like what I need. Unfortunately, I am using Office
2007 (I had an older version but decided to get 2007 when I bought a new
computer -- a change that has made much more difficult for me to find
things, especially since so many of the documents I find online refer to the
"standard" menu). As a result, I can't find Tools | Options |
Compatibility. I have checked Word Options, but I haven't found
Compatibility and haven't found any reference to balancing columns. Can you
direct me to the correct location in Word 2007?

Thanks for your help.

MaryL

 

[Terry Farrell]

In 2007 it is Word Options, Advanced tab and then right down at the bottom,
click on Layout Options.

Terry

 

[MaryL]

Found it! I thought I had checked everything in Word Options, but I missed
Layout Options. Thanks!

MaryL

 

[MaryL]

Thanks for the suggestions. Once Terry Farrell directed me to Layout
Options in Word 2007, I was able to follow your suggestion regarding
Continuous section breaks. That took care of the problem (so far, at
least...you did warn that results could be unpredictable). Thanks very
much!

MaryL

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I'm glad Terry got back to you a little sooner than I could have (I saw his
answer almost immediately and saw he had it covered).

 

[MaryL]

Yes, the two of you together gave me some excellent information. In fact,
this whole group has been very helpful.

MaryL