Forcing downloaded Word documents to open at 'page width'

[leeksie]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I get dozens of emails each day with Word documents attached. Anything I can do to reduce the number of mouse clicks I need to do, to get them in to a form I can read, would be a big benefit.

Is there a way of forcing the documents to open in print layout 'page width'? Usually they open up at 100%, which is too small to read.

 

[CyberTaz]

Word documents open at the Zoom & View that was in use when they were last
saved. There is nothing within the program you can do to "force" them to
open differently since 2008 doesn't support macros.

However, I imagine someone will come along shortly to offer an Apple Script
solution that will do the job.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Michel Bintener]

To fulfil Bob's prophesy: there is indeed an AppleScript solution for this
problem.

Copy the following text into Script Editor / AppleScript Editor (use
Spotlight to find the application):

tell application "Microsoft Word"
activate
tell active window
set width to 1020
set height to 770
end tell
set view type of view of active window to page view
set percentage of zoom of view of active window to 150
end tell

You can now customise this script to your heart's content; change the width
and height of the document (in pixels), change the zoom, or even change the
view. Save the AppleScript, then put it in ~/Documents/Microsoft User
Data/Word Script Menu Items (where "~" stands for your user account). The
script is now available in Word's script menu (the tiny black scroll in the
menu bar). When you select the script, Word will automatically change the
current document to match your settings.

Optional, but insanely useful: when naming your AppleScript, add "\c"
(without the quotation marks), followed by any letter. If you open a
document in Word and hit Ctrl (that's what the "\c" is for) plus the letter
you have just added to the name, the script will be triggered via this
keyboard shortcut. That's precisely what I have done, and now, I only need
to hit Ctrl+n to make Word resize the current document.

Hope this helps.

 

[Clive Huggan]

Hello Michel,

You gave me this script a few months back and it has been a godsend.

The information you gave in this thread about triggering a keyboard shortcut
is useful ‹ but I haven¹t yet been able to get that to work (Word 2004, OS
10.5.11). When you mention adding \c plus a letter to the script name, does
that mean, for example (applying Control-L in this instance), a file name
would be: ³Size Word doc for smaller screen\cl.scpt²?

Word 2004 does not have a script menu, of course, so I¹m especially
interested to use a keyboard shortcut. At present I have the script saved as
an application and I have put an icon at the top of each Finder window ‹ not
hard to find but would be easier as a keyboard shortcut.

Cheers,

Clive
===============

 

[Michel Bintener]

Hi Clive,

I am not entirely sure the keyboard shortcuts work in Word 2004.

It was possible, even in Entourage 2004, to trigger AppleScripts via
keyboard shortcuts, but Word 2004, if I remember correctly, was not
extensively AppleScript-able (I think I have just created a new adjective!).
This area was improved during the move from 2004 to 2008 largely because of
the absence of VBA in Word 2008. If the AppleScript keystroke does not work
for you, then it may very well be that it simply doesn't work in Word 2004
at all.

Which leads me to my next point: you could simply use VBA to create a macro
that resizes the document window for you. I remember using such a macro
before I was told about the AppleScript.

PS: The name is indeed correct. My script is called "Normal size\cn.scpt"

 

[leeksie]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I will give this a go.

 

[leeksie]

Michel,

Thanks for the script it worked perfectly.

Chris

 

[Clive Huggan]

Thanks, Michel -- yes, my excitement at the prospect of a keyboard shortcut
led to a rush of blood to the head!

It's not too bad at present: I can trigger the script from the top of any
Finder window, the Dock, and an alias I've put at the corner of one screen.

Doing it in VBA would be good, but my skills in that area, such as they
were, are now rusty from disuse! ;-)

Many thanks!

Clive
===========================================

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor:
Intel I get dozens of emails each day with Word documents attached.
Anything I can do to reduce the number of mouse clicks I need to do, to
get them in to a form I can read, would be a big benefit.

Is there a way of forcing the documents to open in print layout 'page
width'? Usually they open up at 100%, which is too small to read.

Hi,

There is a relatively easy way to accomplish this with a single click.
This is a small part of a tip from the All-In-One for Dummies book on
page 59 under the topic Add A jewel of a Command.

1. In Word, choose View > Customize Toolbars and Menus
(The customize toolbars and Menus dialog appears. See Figure 3-5, which
you need the book to see).
2. Click the Commands tab
3. In the categories list (on the left), choose the View category
4. In the Commands list (on the right) scroll down to the Fit to Window
command and choose it.
5. Drag the Fit to Window command from the dialog to any toolbar and
then release the mouse button
6. Click OK to close the Customize Toolbars and Menus dialog

Then, whenever you open a document, click the button to automatically
fit the document to the window. Word will remember that setting if you
save the document before reopening it again.

There's hundreds of other tips in the book. Please consider getting a copy.

-Jim

 

[Michel Bintener]

In addition to Jim's comments: if VBA is the way you want to go, you could
simply use the Macro Recorder to record what you are doing, and make some
minor modifications to the recorded macro afterwards. That's how I did it,
and my VBA skills have never been rusty to begin with, as that would imply
that they were existent at some point.

And you can always ask other MVPs for help; we ought to have enough
knowledgeable people in here who are up to the task.

 

[Clive Huggan]

You've inspired me again, Michel!

Clive
=======================================

 

[Michel Bintener]

I live to serve! ;-)

You've inspired me again, Michel!

Clive