Tip ms office-Controls for Word Page Breaks

Controls for Word Page Breaks

Along with the ability to manually insert page breaks, MS Word gives you a few ways to control the soft (or automatic) page breaks that are inserted by the program.

In older versions of Word, the Page Break controls can be found under the Format menu, Paragraph choice.

If you're using Word 2007, you'll find what you're looking for on the Home ribbon, Paragraph section. You need to click the button in the bottom right hand corner to access the Paragraph dialogue window.

You're then looking to navigate to the Line and Page Break tab.

Your choices can be found in the Pagination section at the top.

At this point, I'm sure you can see your four choices, but what do they all mean?

Oh no, not more computer jargon flying around the room!

No worries! This jargon can be easily translated and you, too, will be a master of the page break controls.

The first choice is the "Widow/Orphan control." When checked, that will prevent Word from leaving the first line of a paragraph (an orphan) at the bottom of a page or the last line of a paragraph (a widow) at the top of a new page. Basically, Word will automatically move the first line of a paragraph to the next page (avoiding the orphan). If the last line of a paragraph is pushed to a new page, Word will also move the line above it. That avoids the widow situation.

Another choice is "Keep lines together." That one, when selected, will prevent Word from inserting a page break anywhere within a selected paragraph.

You'll also find the "Keep with next" option. That choice will keep Word from separating the selected paragraph and the one immediately following it.

Finally, you have the "Page break before" choice. Just as the name indicates, it tells Word to insert a page break before the selected paragraph.

Once you select the appropriate controls for your current situation, click OK.

There you have it. Page break controls right at your fingertips!