Different margin setting for the first page

[Katherine]

I am using Word XP to write my dissertation now. FYI, I
save each chapter as a differet file.

I need the first page of each chapter to have a deeper
top margin than the rest of the pages. So, this was what
I have done (my real problem comes following the steps):

1) Go to File->Page Setup->Margin tab and define the
margin setting (deeper top margin) for the whole
document. Hit OK!
2) Put my cursor at the beginning of a paragraph in page
1 (there are other lines before this paragraph, such as
the chapter title).
3) Go to File->Page Setup->Margin tab again and define
the margin setting (shorter top margin this time), AND
select 'from this point on' in this same window.
4) Go to the 'Layout tab' and select 'Continuous' in
the 'Section' part. Hit OK!

So, I do get different margin settings for the first page
and the following pages. BUT when I hit print, the
document just doesn't print. There was no error at all.
Then, I used the mouse to select portions from page 1 to
half of page 2 and select 'Print Selection'. It prints!!
BUT on the same line where I put the section break (by
selecting 'from this point on' in Margin settin), I see
this line like below:
=======Section Break (Continuous)=========

What the heck was that. Why did that get printed out? Can
anyone tell me how to get rid of this? Or, is there any
other way to have two different margin settings in the
same document? Please advice! Thanks a million!!!!!!

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Hi Katherine,

The easiest way to handle this is to go to the beginning of your document
and press Enter until your text starts where you want. Not elegant, but it
gets the job done.

Alternative 2

Use the Title style for your title (assuming that is the first line on page
1). Use Format => Style to modify the style both as far as font and size
(formatting the font) and in the paragraph format of the style "space
before." This is in points. OK your way out. This is a bit more elegant than
hitting the Enter key a bunch of times.

Alternative 3

Another easy way to handle this is not intuitive, but works great. This is
the equivalent of setting a different first page margin.

File => Page Setup => Layout (tab)

Check the box for "Different First Page"

OK or close your way back to your document.

View => Headers and Footers

You should have a box at the top of your screen that says "First Page
Header."

Insert => Text Box

Using your mouse, draw a box to take up the room you want. You want it to go
from left to right margin and down to just above where you want your
first-page margin to be. Release the mouse button. (You can resize later if
needed.) Right-click on the border of the table and select "Format textbox."
In the box for line color, set it to "no line," in the box for fill, set it
to "no fill." Click on the layout tab and click on the button for "square."
Then click OK. Click the "Close" button on the header and footer toolbar.

Your typing on the first page will start where you want.

Hope this helps,
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Katherine]

Hi Charles,

Thanks a bunch for providing 3 alternatives. I guess when
the deadline comes, whatever way works will be the
answer. Who cares if it's elegant or not

K

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Charles has given you several ideas. Now let me give you some more:

1. Don't add empty paragraphs. These clutter the document and may cause
problems with your TOC.

2. Adding Space Before to your chapter title style (or the chapter number
style, if it precedes the title) is a better approach, but it will work only
if the chapter begins with at least a page break. If you format the
title/number style as "Page break before," this will be automatic. If you
want a different (in this case *no*) header on the first page of a chapter,
then you'll need section breaks between chapters (so you can use the
"Different first page" setting), in which case "Page break before" is
unnecessary and even a possible source of problems.

3. You don't need to add a text box or other drawing object to the header to
push the document body down: Space After added to the First Page Header
paragraph will work just fine.

4. One technique that I find works really well if you want the body of each
chapter to begin at a specified point, regardless of the length of the title
or other opening text, is to put the chapter number, title, display quote,
etc., in a single-cell borderless table set to an exact height. If you save
this table (with empty paragraphs in the appropriate styles) as an AutoText
entry, it's easy to insert at the beginning of each chapter.