Microsoft KB Archive/27815

Word: Paragraph Borders Missing at Top or Bottom of Columns

PSS ID Number: Q27815 Article last modified on 03-07-1997

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========================================================= 3.00 3.01 3.02 4.00 5.00 5.10 MACINTOSH kbusage

= SYMPTOMS =

In Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, when using newspaper (snaking) columns and using the paragraph border box feature to put a plain box around paragraphs, the last paragraph of a column as well as the first paragraph of the next column may not have a complete box around it. The bottom or top of the box may be missing.

= CAUSE =

This may be because the paragraph at the bottom of the column does not end at the end of a column, but continues at the top of the next column.

= STATUS =

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word for the Macintosh versions 3.x, 4.0, 5.0, and 5.1. This problem was corrected in Word for the Macintosh version 6.0.

= WORKAROUND =

To solve this problem, you must force the paragraph to end at the bottom of the column, then change the paragraph border formats to include a bottom or top border on the desired paragraphs. This problem is solved differently in Word versions 5.0 and 4.0 than it is in versions 3.0x.

Word versions 4.0, 5.0 and 5.1

 * 1) If Page Layout (Page View in 4.0) is not activated, choose Page Layout from the View menu. (Page View from the Document menu in 4.0).
 * 2) Move to the bottom of the column that is missing the paragraph border.
 * 3) If paragraph marks are not showing, choose Show Paragraphs from the View menu (Edit in 4.0).
 * 4) If there is not a paragraph mark at the end of the last line of text of the column, click the cursor at the end of the text at the end of the column and press the RETURN key. The last paragraph of the column should now end at the bottom of the column.
 * 5) If there is not an empty paragraph either at the bottom of the column or at the top of the next column, click the cursor after the last line of text at the bottom of the paragraph and press the RETURN key. The last paragraph of the column should now end at the bottom of the column with a blank paragraph between that paragraph and the next one.
 * 6) Select the paragraph between the last paragraph of the column and the first one of the next column.
 * 7) Press COMMAND+SHIFT+P. This will apply the Normal style to the paragraph.
 * 8) From the Format menu, choose Paragraph.
 * 9) In the Line box choose Exactly and then type “1”, without the quotes, in the box to the right of the word Exactly. (In Word 4.0 under Spacing, type -1). This will set the line spacing for that paragraph to exactly 1 point.

The paragraphs should now have the desired paragraph border format.

Word versions 3.0x

 * 1) Locate the paragraph that breaks across the column. This can be easily done by using Page Preview.
 * 2) Click the cursor at the end of the line that is the last line in the column and press the RETURN key.
 * 3) Apply the desired formats to the paragraphs.

For more information about paragraph borders in Word version 5.0, see pages 356-366 of the “User’s Guide to Microsoft Word” version 5.0 manual.

For more information about paragraph borders in Word version 4.0, see page 268 of the “Reference to Microsoft Word” version 4.0 manual.

For more information about paragraph borders in Word versions 3.0x, see page 6 of the “Reference to Microsoft Word” version 3.0 manual.

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubCategory: kbformat Additional reference words: macword macword5 3.00 3.x 4.00 5.00 5.10 ====================================================================== ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.