My text is shifting after I protect my form

[Guest]

I have been tasked with creating a request form from a word doc that usually
gets printed out then filled in manually. The goal is to enable anyone in
the office to pull the form up off the server, fill it out on the computer,
then print it out complete (with all the requisite info solicited by the form)

I have gone through the document and, where there are lines/check boxes that
folks would usually fill in by pen, I have inserted text form fields/check
boxes.

That part was easy enough. After locking the form to protect the original
text, I did a test run to make sure I would be able to tab between all the
fields. This worked. Next I did a mock-run of filling out the form and
found my problem.

When I start typeing text into the forms, the other text from the original
document starts to shift to the right to accomodate the original spacing.
What I mean by this is that I have two pieces of information per line in the
word document. When I type in the first form (spaced at the left margin) it
subsequently moves the second form (spaced at 3.5" from the left margin). I
need the second form to stay where it is (at 3.5"), otherwise it starts
messing up all the spacing throughout the rest of the form.

Is there a way to lock/anchor the text so it will not move regardless of how
many characters I type in the text form. I have tried limiting character
width using the properties in the forms toolbar, but this does not solve my
problem.

Somebody, Anybody, PLEASE HELP-- THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!

 

[Stefan Blom]

Place the form fields inside fixed-height table cells. This will
prevent resizing as text is entered into the fields. To set a fixed
height for a table row: On the Row tab of Table | Table Properties,
check the "Specify height" box, type the desired value, and at "Row
height is," choose "Exactly."

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message
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[Guest]

Thanks Stefan, I will give this a try. Question though: can I specify the
width of the table as well. My problem is not that the "ambient" text is
shifting up and down when typeing in the fill-in forms, but rather to the
right, thus shiifting everything else around on the document.

Once again, thanks for your help.

 

[Stefan Blom]

To prevent columns from resizing in a table, just use Table | AutoFit
| Fixed Column Width. This sets exact column widths and clears the
"Automatically resize to fit contents" box in the Table Options dialog
box.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message

 

[Monika Besancon]

Question, my document is a form that does not contain tables - how do I stop
the next field from shifting to the right when it is just a word document
with text and input fields but no tables?

 

[Graham Mayor]

You don't. Use a borderless table with fixed cell sizes.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[britta]

How do I keep the remaining text from moving. I inserted a table next to the
text it needs to be by but it just moves the text further and further away.
otherwise how do i keep text from moving in Word 2007 when I have the form
fields set up?

 

[Stefan Blom]

If this is a form, place the form field inside a table cell and then specify
fixed dimensions for the table (cells). Use the Table Properties dialog box
(Column and Row tab, respectively).