How to avoid text wrap between columns in a Word Doc

[Groundhog]

Background: I have a doc used VERY frequently which has 3 columns which I update for travel planning. First Column is What to Take, Second Column is tasks during the Travel and Third column is What must be done prior to travel.



For obvious personal functional reason I DO NOT want any of these columns wrapping text into the adjacent columns.

Adjusting widows and orphans settings helps some as does knowing to keep each column from extending/filling too far down the page.

However there surely is some way to prevent "column wrap" in Word much like you have a setting for Word wrap within a cell in Excel.

What setting can I use to prevent Column Wrap (or is there one?)

[macropod]

Your description suggest you should be using a 3-column table, not a 3-column page layout.

[Groundhog]

Using tables rather than columns to create my 3 column trip plan document is a novel suggestion. I may play with that and see how it would work. Having worked with tables in Word before I suspicion it introduces a lot of limits and restrictions on the amount, shape and margins for the content. Still, good idea worth a try.

Do you have any idea how to stop word wrap from one column to the next in a Word document ? Do you know that that is not possible ?

[macropod]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Having worked with tables in Word before I suspicion it introduces a lot of limits and restrictions on the amount, shape and margins for the content.

Hardly. Each cell can have its own margins and each column its own width. Moreover, by using a table, you can add rows to group related content without having to worry about how else you might keep them aligned.

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Do you have any idea how to stop word wrap from one column to the next in a Word document ? Do you know that that is not possible ?

It is not possible to prevent text re-flow between columns in a document with a multi-column page layout. Doing so would be contrary to the intent behind such a layout.

[Groundhog]

That is what I needed to know -- whether prevention of word wrap in multi-column documents was feasible and if so how. OK, I take your word for it -- I cannot. And I appreciate the pointer toward trying tables for the same purpose.

However, I disagree that prevention of word wrap in multi-column docs is contrary to the intent behind such a layout.

[macropod]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

However, I disagree that prevention of word wrap in multi-column docs is contrary to the intent behind such a layout.

Disagree all you like, but doing so is to ignore what MS has published on the matter...

See:
https://support.office.com/en-us/art...ad=US&fromAR=1
https://support.office.com/en-us/art...6-0461A6030451
The latter, in particular, starts off with the observation:

If you’ve formatted your document with columns (such as a newsletter), you know that your text will automatically flow from one column to the other.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by macropod

Your description suggest you should be using a 3-column table, not a 3-column page layout.

OK, I am converting my frequently used "pre-trip checklist" to table format vice 3 columns as you suggested. To my surprise and your satisfaction it seems to work rather well.

Now, how do I get rid of unwanted extra pages beyond page 1 ? There is currently at least 1 extra page below the first with only table outlines and no content. I have searched the Communitty Help postings for "How to delete a page" and none of the supposed methods work. Some are out and out stupid (as I'm sure you know having worked with this more than myself.) One example was "Go to the page and hit delete." I'm not kidding.

So, how do I get rid of excess pages unwanted and with no content?

[Groundhog]

Solved. You can either go to Table Tools, Layout, Delete and having highlighted the unwanted cells, choose the option that says Delete Entire Row.

The other way is to highlight the empty cells and just hit Delete. That works.

[Ulodesk]

The Table Layout row-delete function is correct, but I believe the previous poster meant to select a row, or all the cells in the row, and then cut it,; using delete simply deletes the content of the cells, but not the cells themselves.