Word Tables and Text Wrapping

[Alkuna]

This seems to be a stubborn problem for Microsoft Word. I have a table that
extends off the edge of the page. Now Text wrapping is on, Positioning is
0.02". But due to the table extending off the page, all the text that is
supposed to wrap is moved directly to the next page, leaving a blank space
along the side of the table nearly half the page's length. Is there a way to
force the text to get in its proper spot?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I'm having trouble visualizing this. If the table extends off the page, how
is there blank space alongside it?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Alkuna]

Ahh. Maybe this will help.
<a
href="http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d131/alkuna_/table_trouble.jpg">Screenshot</a>

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

"This image or video has been moved or deleted."

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Alkuna]

Try refreshing a few times maybe? It's showing up for me. ^_^; Technical
difficulties about today it seems. Lemme re-post the link:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d131/alkuna_/table_trouble.jpg

Does that help?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Yes. Your previous link had some extra garbage at the end. So what you mean
by "extending off the page" is that the table breaks across pages. The
difficulty here is that, ordinarily, wrapped objects can't break across
pages. Word does make an exception for tables but apparently it does it in
such a way that text can't be continuously wrapped beside it.

In Word 2000, the first version in which tables could be wrapped, they were
not allowed to break. If you opened a Word 2000 document with a wrapped
table in an earlier version, the table appeared in a frame, and frames
cannot break across pages, either. My guess would be that Word is
dynamically creating two (or more) separate frames (or something comparable
to frames) for wrapped tables that break across pages and that your text is
being forced to wrap beside the second one.

A workaround for this would be to create a large unbordered third column to
the table and put your text there. Alternatively, since it doesn't appear to
me that items in your first column have any relation to items in your second
column, you could use newspaper-style columns instead. This would really
make more sense since it is awkward to have the Item Checklist continued on
the second page (especially without even a repeating heading row to identify
it). It would be better to have the items wrap to the top of the second
column, to be followed by the Arms Shop, etc. If desired, you could have
several narrow columns followed by a wider one for your text.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Alkuna]

Ahh okay. Thank you.

 

[Pamelia Caswell via OfficeKB.com]

Try moving the table anchor to a higher paragraph, so the whole table can
fit on the page. (Select the table, delete it; than move to another
paragraph and paste it. The pasting behavior for wrapped tables is so much
nicer than for text boxes.) Or leave the anchor where it is and set a
negative value to the vertical (start) position of the table. Again, the
object is to fit the whole table on the page. The text wrapping should sort
itself out then--at least that's what I've seen.

Pam

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Yes, that would certainly work if the placement of the table at that
particular point is not critical.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Pamelia Caswell via OfficeKB.com]

The table placement doesn't have to change (relative to its description text)
if one manipulates its position relative to the start of the paragraph.
Bottom line, if the wrapped table (figure/textbox/frame) is 5 inches high
and the start of its anchor paragraph is just 4 inches from the bottom of
the page. You need to start the table higher on the page. I find it more
reliable to set (OK, guess) the position in the layout (?) dialog, position
tab than it is to drag the table.

Pam

Yes, that would certainly work if the placement of the table at that
particular point is not critical.

Try moving the table anchor to a higher paragraph, so the whole table can
fit on the page. (Select the table, delete it; than move to another

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

 

[Alkuna]

Moving the table would do me no good. The table lists everything in Sol, the
town in the game. Moving the table would require me to move the entire
section on Sol. It can't be moved UP, because there are paragraphs detailing
the towns I encounter before Sol. Moving it down would require me to leave
half of the page completely blank, a fate I am trying to avoid.

My choices have ultimately been a) find a way to force the program to line
the text next to a table that breaks across the page, or b) add a column to
the item checklist and make it not as long. I can do B, I was just hoping
someone else had a suggestion that would give me A. Any text size smaller
than this would make it nearly impossible to read and any text size that is
larger would raise the number of pages I have to print out and thus use up
more ink.

To all appearances though, A isn't possible.