I've tried looking on google, but I don't think I'm using the right keywords.



I've have a bulletin that I send out once a week. It's has three columns. Two columns are equal width and the other is half that width. This allows the printer version to fold up like a pamphlet.

I have the bulletin attached for reference.

The problem I face is that it's difficult to edit because nothing stays in each column. Naturally when I keep typing the words at the end of one column it then flows into the next column.

I need this NOT to flow over. I need the text to just stop me in my tracks. This would tell me that I can't add anymore to the column.

(for those of you that are web programmers: This would be like needing a fixed height or #div using an absolute value)

Every time I have to pick and play with the amount of text I use in order for it to fill in correctly and this takes too much time.

I'm using MS Word 2010 on Windows 7 64bit

Any Help would be appreciated.

Attached Files

Bulletin Page 2 (backup).docx (47.9 KB, 17 views)

Instead of trying to maintain the column layout via paragraph breaks - which is poor practice for the reasons you're encountering - you could use column breaks. Better still, you could reduce the column count to 2 by putting the 'Member Connection' content into the page header - along with the text boxes. Combined with some paragraph formatting to apply 'space before', 'keep together' & 'keep with next' attributes, the layout becomes quite easy to maintain. See attached.

Attached Files

Bulletin.docx (51.8 KB, 14 views)

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Macro Pod,
Thank you for checking in on me here. I can't seem to edit or move the images now. While they are doing exactly what I want (stay still) the text still flows over.
I'm afraid you are talking to a total novice with anything Word.

1. How do I edit/move the clipart?
2. How would I go about reducing the column count to 2 by putting the 'Member Connection' content into the page header?

Sounds like all this would solve the problem once done.

The 'clipart' content is now in the page header & footer. Simply double-clicking on the very top of the page will open them up for editing.

As for the column setup, have a look at the page layout vis-à-vis the margins and column settings. Compare your attachment against my attachment.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I see how to access the header and footer now. That's very interesting using that to make the clipart stay put. This helps tremendously and I thank you.

When I double click the header and make it editable, as you said. It appears that the 'Member Connection' content is already in the page header. footer?

Now if there was only a way to make the text stay in the first two columns without spilling over then this would be complete!

yes, it's now in a textbox in the page header.
I think you'll find that, with the paragraph formatting I've applied (check out the 'space before', 'keep together' & 'keep with next' attributes) that will take care of itself. The alternative is to use column breaks (via the Page Layout panel).

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]