Column formatting, indents, spacing and page breaks

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Column formatting

  1. Any multi-column layout should be achieved via Column formatting and not through tabs or tables, with the exception of creating forms.
  2. Column formatting is found under the ‘Page Layout’ tab.

The page layout tab of Word's navigation. The Columns dropdown is activated with the one column options selected.
Figure 28: Columns

Indents and spacing

Page breaks

  1. To show page breaks, paragraph and other hidden formatting symbols, select ‘Show formatting marks’:-

The location of the show formatting marks found in words navigation. It is found in the paragraph section before the styles.
Figure 29: Show formatting marks
  1. Replace all soft paragraph returns (shift+Enter) with hard paragraph returns  (Enter).
  2. Use page breaks to start a new page instead of multiple ‘Enters’.

The location of the Page Break button. It is the last item in the pages options found in the insert tab.
Figure 30: Page breaks

Avoid repeated blank characters

Instead of using the TAB key or repeated space characters, use the formatting provided.

  1. Select any repeated space characters and delete.
  2. Place the cursor in the relevant text and right-click. Select the ‘Paragraph’ option.

The text options from right selecting. The Paragraph option is circled in the list.
Figure 31: Select the Paragraph option
  1. Select the ‘Indents and Spacing’ tab.
  2. Under the ‘Indentation’ section, select the relevant spacing to the left and the right of the text.
  3. Under the ‘Spacing’ section, select the relevant spacing underneath (‘Before’) and above (‘After’) the text. This will add the specific spacing to the beginning and end of a paragraph.

The paragraph options window. The first tab - Indents and spacing - is selected and circled. The Indentation section is also circled which is found after the general section.
Figure 32: Indents and Spacing tab – Indentation section
  1. To add spacing between lines in a paragraph, choose one of the options under ‘Line spacing’.

The paragraph options window. The first tab - Indents and spacing - is selected and circled. The Spacing section is also circled found under the indentation section.
Figure 33: Indents and Spacing tab – Spacing section