Anchor reflow issues driving me batty

[Terry_Veiga]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Power PC

Hello:

I had to convert my resume from InDesign into a Word file. However, whenever I attempt to delete a blank page section (see file at web link below), my layout breaks down. I'm guessing my anchors and frames settings are in need of attention.

Please take a peek at my file and enlighten me:
<http://idisk.mac.com/theveigas-Public/Terry_Veiga_Resume.doc>

Thank you very much,
Terry

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Terry:

Well, that's a nice-looking piece of graphics design

Now: For the bad news

Your whole approach is wrong. Floating text boxes/frames are NOT the way to
drive Word.

The simplest way to do this kind of thing in Word is using borderless
(hidden) tables. The more elegant way to do it is with section breaks and
columns.

You need to understand that Word is a "text flow" application, and that
everything is treated as, or anchored to, a paragraph in the main text flow.

Your difficulty is that your text boxes are often anchored to paragraphs
below themselves, so those paragraphs are going to move around with them,
which leads to very high entertainment value! Particularly if you delete a
paragraph to which something else is anchored!

I would start by moving your header and footer information into the document
headers and footers. There are a set of headers and footers for each
section. That gets them out of the main text flow so you can think

You might want to keep your pull-quotes in column 1 in a textbox. But the
rest of the next needs to go into a table or a multi-column section.

Start off doing this with tables: they're not as flexible, but they're
conceptually easier to handle and because they sit rigidly in the main text
flow, they do not contribute any extra surprises.

Relay it in tables and see how you get on. I see you are using styles:
that's good. But instead of using frames with the styles, use leading
(space before, space after) and indents to position the text.

Then Word will flow the styled paragraphs one after the other using the
measures you have defined. The problem with frames/text boxes is that
everything moves with everything else, giving you these "collapsing like a
house of cards" problems.

I would begin by getting your main text flow positioned as a two-column
layout, using section breaks to allow you a full-width straddle for your
headings. Yes, it is easier to do this in a table, but tables are for
whimps

Once you have that stable, then you can hang your pull-quotes off those
paragraphs as floating sidebars, and they will move with the paragraphs they
are anchored to.

Come back with any further questions.

Hope his helps

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Power PC

Hello:

I had to convert my resume from InDesign into a Word file. However, whenever I
attempt to delete a blank page section (see file at web link below), my layout
breaks down. I'm guessing my anchors and frames settings are in need of
attention.

Please take a peek at my file and enlighten me:
<http://idisk.mac.com/theveigas-Public/Terry_Veiga_Resume.doc>

Thank you very much,
Terry

--

Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Terry_Veiga]

Thanks tons for the insightful tips, John.

As you mentioned, I tried the multi-column with section breaks approach and decided to go the wimpy "Tables" route instead. )

My problem now is that when I insert my graphics/text in a header, those elements "grey out" once I click elsewhere on the page. I believe that's the intended functionality and I think I've read that the graphics/text will still print properly -- is that correct? However, since this is a resume to be shared electronically and will likely be read on screen at times, I'm hoping you have another tip (table, text box, frame, etc.) that I should use for those elements in order to avoid any reflow issues with my text tables...?

BTW, I primarily share out my resume in a PDF format, however, there are still a couple of employment Web sites that require pasted plain text or Word doc only =\

Have a great day!,
Terry

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Terry:

Yes, in "Editing Views" Word greys out the header and footer: in Draft view
it hides it entirely.

If you want your document to be viewed electronically, create it in a format
designed for on-line viewing: HTML or PDF or XPS.

A large percentage of "employment" websites insist on a resume in plain text
or Word, simply so that they can parse it. They will discard all of the
formatting entirely and render it into a set of dissociated "attributes" in
a database that they can then query.

Not much you can do about that, except what I do, which is to explain to
each head-hunter who subsequently rings that you are a Graphics Designer and
your Resume is a sample of your work. And that if they try to alter the
file you provide in any way, you will not be considered for the position and
they won't get their commission.

I share with you the difficulty of making pimps understand that a printed or
faxed copy of my resume is of very limited interested to an employer -- to
make it onto the "short list" they want to open the file and see how it is
coded internally.

Trying to explain "anything" to salesmen is like teaching a pig to sing
(with or without lipstick...). It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

I use various subterfuges to get around the problem. One of my favourites
is "Can I have a phone number for the interviewer, in case I get stuck in
traffic and I have to ring to say I am going to be late?" I then ring the
employer direct and get their email address, to which I can fire a copy of
the real, un-mangled resume.

I once spoke to a head-hunter who understood immediately, because he used to
do what I do for a living. But that was 30 years ago...

Cheers

Thanks tons for the insightful tips, John.

As you mentioned, I tried the multi-column with section breaks approach and
decided to go the wimpy "Tables" route instead. )

My problem now is that when I insert my graphics/text in a header, those
elements "grey out" once I click elsewhere on the page. I believe that's the
intended functionality and I think I've read that the graphics/text will still
print properly -- is that correct? However, since this is a resume to be
shared electronically and will likely be read on screen at times, I'm hoping
you have another tip (table, text box, frame, etc.) that I should use for
those elements in order to avoid any reflow issues with my text tables...?

BTW, I primarily share out my resume in a PDF format, however, there are still
a couple of employment Web sites that require pasted plain text or Word doc
only =\

Have a great day!,
Terry

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Terry_Veiga]

Ha, at least you understand my dilemma and somehow that takes some of the pain away. And I agree with your "back door" trick to get my resume past the gatekeepers on to the proper desk.

John many thanks and good things to you,
Terry

 

[John McGhie]

Thanks Terry:

All of us here obtained our experience at "full price", with the attendant
costs in time, humiliation and frustration.

We share our pain in here in the hope that it will save you some.

And we look forward to your popping in from time to time to field the
questions that suit your area of expertise. Just to encourage you, allow me
to point out that I know you did not get "that good" overnight.

So I invite you to reflect on the fact that somewhere in the world, some
poor boob has just got out of graphics school and landed their dream job.
Their first step on the ladder...

It's nine o'clock at night. Their first "real" assignment is due on the
boss's desk tomorrow, and things are not going "well". They are sitting
there, literally in tears -- of terror and frustration.

Remember that feeling? I do. Oh god, I do...

And they don't dare ask anybody at work. Because they haven't yet been in
the game long enough to understand that their boss knew EXACTLY what they
don't know before he hired them.

But they can ask us

Cheers

Ha, at least you understand my dilemma and somehow that takes some of the pain
away. And I agree with your "back door" trick to get my resume past the
gatekeepers on to the proper desk.

John many thanks and good things to you,
Terry

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]