At work, we're using Word 2010, but our proposal documents frequently go to and from authors using 2007. I am aware of some incompatibilty issues.



A member of our DTP staff has recommended using tables in our template headers and footers, set to 100%, rather than a width, so that the width will self-adjust when we have regular-size or tabloid landscape pages included in a regular (portrait) document. It's true that under deadline pressures, wrong-width headers can be missed, and are.

I encountered problems with this approach in large, long documents in Word 2003 days. The lack of needed section breaks with layout change was exacerbated, and occasionally, the headers or footers would just "blow-up" on us. I am writing to solicit any updated version recommendations anyone might have. I'm open to simplifying

Thanks.

I'm not sure why you want to use tables rather than having a separate header for that section. You could simply have everything in the header on the left or right margin or centered. Use of the StyleRef field will pick up relevant document content. Sections / Headers and Footers

The tables will adjust, assuming that you want headers and footers on the wide edge of your landscape pages. If they are turned sideways for printing, though, it will look strange. See Portrait page number on a landscape page.

Thanks, Charles. The header/footer information placed in tables would be on all pages, obviating the need to make width adjustments when inserting landscape and tabloid landscape pages (we do not place headers/footers on short sides of landscape pages). Typically, headers and footers contain essentially the same data throughout documents; the issue here, for us, is merely convenience, and my concern is just stability, based on past experience.

Best,
Philip

OK. AFAIK tables should work. I am not aware of the "blowing up" issue, though.

In a document with both portrait and landscape sections, there will be section breaks, and each section contains at least one header (and footer). By default, the headers (and footers) are linked, that is, they have the same content. A table whose width is set to 100% appears to expand to fill the space between the margins (in the header) in the portrait section, but it won't do the same in the landscape section.
In other words, 100% width is determined by the header width in the portrait section.

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