Document sizes slightly different

[AdrianF]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Power PC I have several documents that I am trying to format the same way:
1. 2cm margins
2. 2cm header and footer from edge
3. Page setup custom as US Trade (6X9inches or 15.24X22.86cm). I have setup this custom size with a non-printable area (user defined) as 1.5cm all around.

Despite formatting all my documents identically as above they appear to be slightly different sizes. I know this because:

1. When I look at the ruler some have a horizontal writing area of about 11.4cm and some have 11.1cm.

2. When I copy text from one to the other it 'runs over' into the next line.

3. Sometimes I am requested to 'fix' the margins after formatting the document as above and with other files I don't have to.

Could you please tell me why this is happening and how I fix it?

Thanks,
Adrian

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

Hi Adrian:

If the margins are correct, the next thing to do is check the styles and
columns.

Check the paragraph styles for left and right indents, check the columns for
a gutter other than 0.

And if there is any non-style formatting in there, get rid of it, otherwise
you will chase this forever

Cheers

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Power
PC I have several documents that I am trying to format the same way:
1. 2cm margins
2. 2cm header and footer from edge
3. Page setup custom as US Trade (6X9inches or 15.24X22.86cm). I have setup
this custom size with a non-printable area (user defined) as 1.5cm all around.

Despite formatting all my documents identically as above they appear to be
slightly different sizes. I know this because:

1. When I look at the ruler some have a horizontal writing area of about
11.4cm and some have 11.1cm.

2. When I copy text from one to the other it 'runs over' into the next line.

3. Sometimes I am requested to 'fix' the margins after formatting the document
as above and with other files I don't have to.

Could you please tell me why this is happening and how I fix it?

Thanks,
Adrian

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[AdrianF]

Thanks,

After having a look at your suggestions, it seems that the problem may be with the column width. All my documents are single column. On most they are set to a width of 11.59cm, but on some they are 11.24cm. Unfortunately if I try to format column width (up or down) it doesn't let me seem to change it (if I type in a new number and hit OK it reverts back to the old number). The 'spacing' entry in all of them are blank.

Regards,
Adrian

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

If there is only one column, the Columns command cannot change the width.

In which case, the problem is in the document margins or the paper size.

Go to File>Page Setup and check the measurements specified in there, for
each section in the document.

The margins and paper size are specified in the section break following each
section of the document.

If the margin settings won't change in Page Setup, the document is corrupt:
Maggie it:

The Maggie:

1. Create a new blank document
2. Carefully select all of the text in the bad document EXCEPT the last
paragraph mark
3. Copy it.
4. Paste in the new document.
5. Save under a new file name and close all, then re-open.

This technique for de-corrupting is known as "Doing a 'Maggie'", after
Margaret Secara from the TECHWR-L mailing list, who first publicised the
technique.

Hope this helps

Thanks,

After having a look at your suggestions, it seems that the problem may be with
the column width. All my documents are single column. On most they are set to
a width of 11.59cm, but on some they are 11.24cm. Unfortunately if I try to
format column width (up or down) it doesn't let me seem to change it (if I
type in a new number and hit OK it reverts back to the old number). The
'spacing' entry in all of them are blank.

Regards,
Adrian

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[AdrianF]

Great,

Seems like you and Maggie have save me!