Formatting Columns

Contents:

 

Bijou students: THIS IS an ASSIGNMENT! It is worth 2 Points! You should follow specific Columns Assignment instructions. You will save one or two files for grading. Again - This is worth 2 Points.

Formatting text into two columns

To have the best presentation for two columns, balance the length of the columns equally.

  1. Open an existing document if you have one, or click HERE and save it as a Word file.

    Note: make sure you have a document with at least one full paragraph.
     
  2. Have this window open at the top and the WORD window open at the bottom.
    (See Using a split screen.)



  3. Select the text that is to be placed in columns.
    For this assignment:
    Select
    the
    body of the text (that text which is below the title).
    Click and hold at the beginning of the paragraph, then drag to the end and let go,
        -Or-
    Triple-click in the paragraph.  All the text that is highlighted is "selected."
     
  4. On the Standard toolbar, click the Columns button:

    The Columns Button
     
  5. Click the first column, and drag the mouse so that two columns are selected. Release the mouse button.
  6. Position the insertion point at the beginning of a line in the middle of the text.
  7. On the Insert menu, click Break.
  8. Click Column break.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Your text should look a lot like this:

    Text with 2 columns
  • For this assignment: Save the document with the name ColumnsXX.doc (Where XX is your initials)

Formatting text into three columns

Newsletters, lists, and schedules, for example, may need to be in a three-column format.

Note
When you format three columns, consider whether the document will be printed in portrait or landscape orientation.

  1. Open an existing document if you have one, or click HERE and save it as a Word file.

    Note: make sure you have a document with at least one full paragraph.
     
  2. Select the text that is to be placed in columns.
    For this assignment:
    Select
    the
    body of the text (that text which is below the title).
     
  3. On the Format menu, click Columns.
  4. In the Presets area, click Three.
  • For this assignment: 5. Check the Line between and Equal column width options for the Columns Assignment.
  1. Otherwise, choose any of the presets you need:
  • check the Line between to place vertical lines between any number of columns,
  • choose specific measurements for column widths, as necessary,
  • or check Equal column width as the easiest way to get equal columns.

The Columns Window, Setting 3 columns

  1. Click OK.

NOTE: The columns may all appear the way you intended,
        -or-
        the text may appear all in one skinny column along the left side of your document,
        You will then need to proceed with the following instructions.

  • For this assignment: 7. Position the insertion point at the beginning of a line one-third of the way down in the first column.
  1. Otherwise, Position the insertion point where you need to separate the columns.
  2. On the Insert menu, click Break.
  3. Click Column break.
  4. Click OK.
  • For this assignment: 11. Position the insertion point at the beginning of a line halfway down the second column.
  1. Otherwise, Position the insertion point where you need to separate for more columns.
  2. On the Insert menu, click Break.
  3. Click Column break.
  4. Click OK. 
  • For this assignment: Your text should look a lot like this:

    Text with 3 columns and a LINE BETWEEN
  • For this assignment: Save the document with the file name Columns3XX.doc, and then close it.

NOTE: Where you divide material into columns depends on the type of document
you are creating and how much material you have to divide.  You want the columns
to be fairly even.

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