Microsoft Word question

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:46 pm

Ok. I could have sworn (if I swore, that is) that a few days ago I asked a question about Microsoft Word here, but it might have been in chat. I can't find the answer, so if I have asked it and somehow am not seeing it, please point me?

What I need to know is how do you make two colums of words on page? For example, if I wanted to paste two poems on one page, one aligned to the left side and one to the right side, how would I do that?

Is there a way to make three columns?

Again, if I am just missing my original post and the answer (I looked for over 10 minutes), please just point me there. My brain is foggy, today.

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:59 pm

Use the Help feature, and search for "columns". Read the explanation entitled, "Create newsletter-style columns". I think that's what you want.

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:11 pm

The trouble with newspaper-style columns is that they are designed to have the text flow from one column into the next. I think that, for the use described, setting up a table with separate columns might be better, as it would allow you to set different alignment options in each table column.

djm

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:12 pm

djm wrote:The trouble with newspaper-style columns is that they are designed to have the text flow from one column into the next. I think that, for the use described, setting up a table with separate columns might be better, as it would allow you to set different alignment options in each table column.

djm

That's how I would do it.

Redwolf

Post by **Dale** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:15 pm

I abandoned the use of columns in Word long ago. I agree that the way to do it is to create a table. What I do create a a table with one row and three columns. I resize the middle column to serve as a kind of space or margin between the two that contain text. Then if you use the Table drop-down, there's an option to change the size of the table borders to zero so they don't appear on the print-out.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:43 pm

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:05 pm

SteveShaw wrote:

Those are awfully big columns for just that little bit of rock they're holding up. Overkill, if you ask me.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:10 pm

jsluder wrote:
SteveShaw wrote:

Those are awfully big columns for just that little bit of rock they're holding up. Overkill, if you ask me.

kindred spirits, innit?

takes a big man to hold up a harmonica...

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:10 pm

SteveShaw wrote:takes a big man to hold up a harmonica...

Well played!

djm

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:47 pm

*smirk*

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 12:17 am

I click "Format", then I click "Columns". It gives you all the choices---number of columns, width, distance between, etc. The columns are "snaking" columns which might confuse a person at first. Type the first poem. Put the cursor on the line after the first poem and hit Enter as many times as necessary until the cursor is in the second column of the page and type the next poem. Then put the cursor on the line after the second poem and hit Enter many times again until the cursor is in the third column where you want the third poem to be. It works out pretty well for simple things I think.

Or create the page with columns as above and paste both poems one after the other. Then put the cursor between them and hit Enter until the second poem is in the second column. The second poem will "snake" into the second column when there are enough lines between the two poems.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:57 am

I use Cynth's method.

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:09 am

Cynth wrote:Put the cursor on the line after the first poem and hit Enter as many times as necessary until the cursor is in the second column of the page and type the next poem.

A cleaner method is to put the cursor on the line after then first poem, click on the "Insert" menu, click on "Break," then select "Column break" and click OK. Or on the keyboard, Alt-i, b, Alt-c, Enter. You can adjust the spacing by clicking on the "Format" menu and selecting "Columns" (or Alt-o, c).

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:16 am

You could also use text boxes. use the "Insert" menu line and insert text box. By default these have line borders, but right-click on the edge and use the format command to remove the line. Don't do this until after you copied the text into them, or they can be difficult to find.
You can have as many text boxes as you like. Four across the page, no problem.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:46 am

BoneQuint wrote:
Cynth wrote:Put the cursor on the line after the first poem and hit Enter as many times as necessary until the cursor is in the second column of the page and type the next poem.
A cleaner method is to put the cursor on the line after then first poem, click on the "Insert" menu, click on "Break," then select "Column break" and click OK. Or on the keyboard, Alt-i, b, Alt-c, Enter. You can adjust the spacing by clicking on the "Format" menu and selecting "Columns" (or Alt-o, c).

That's exactly what I would do. Tables in Word make me sad, a little.