Blank lines at top of page

[Andrew V]

I hope this is filed under the correct discussion group...

I'm wondering whether Word provides a simple method to prevent a blank line
from appearing directly after a soft/non-manual page break (i.e. from being
at the top of a page). When my firm produces Word files, they like to have a
uniform distance between the document header and the body text.

Is there perhaps a way of making those page-topping blank lines "disappear"?
I would like the same kind of behaviour that spaces have at the end of a
paragraph: one can append spaces to the end of a paragraph so that they
extend beyond the right margin with no consequence.

Two possibilities are (a) to omit empty lines and instead adjust all
paragraph spacing to 12 points after, or (b) to "keep with next" every
paragraph that precedes a blank line. Neither of these options is appealing.

Any thoughts?

Andrew

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Those aren't blank lines, they are empty paragraphs. Empty paragraphs
and Word do not mix well.

This is the proper approach to make Word work for you instead of against
you:

(a) to omit empty lines and instead adjust all
paragraph spacing to 12 points after,

Why doesn't it appeal?

 

[Andrew V]

Thanks for your quick reply.

I suppose it doesn't appeal because it wouldn't be a blanket style change.
I have plenty of bulleted lists, in which case the style would apply to all
items but the last one.

I also have a *lot* of convoluted fields in these documents, and I can
foresee having some unsavoury problems with the new style, simply because
fields have been unkind to me in the past and I see no reason for them to
stop now. As I type, I imagine that this approach may work, but I'm having
daymares about it not being maintenance-friendly.

Andrew

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Hmm. That's legit. Check under Tools | Options | Compatibility and see
if any of the checkboxes there work to suppress such empty paragraphs. I
don't remember.

It's possible that Word will automatically suppress Space Before at the
top of a page, and that using Space Before instead of Space After would
solve the bullet problem. But I haven't tested this recently.

Fields should not interfere--you would not create a new style but
redefine the existing styles. But I understand the desire not to break
what works. If you decide to experiment, do so ON A COPY.