Microsoft KB Archive/95224

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WD: Minimizing Pagination Differences Between MacWord and WinWord

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Q95224

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.1
 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 2.0c-CD

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SYMPTOMS
When you convert a document between Word for Windows and Word for the Macintosh, even though the conversion process normally preserves most structures within a document exactly as they appeared in the original, the total number of pages seldom remains the same.

CAUSE
The variation in the total number of pages is primarily attributable to differences in the character width/kerning values for font definitions, and to differences in how the two products treat line spacing. Below is a discussion of each factor and how to minimize differences in both.

Minimizing the Effects of Font Differences
Attaching font-definition files to documents for transfer and use across platforms is not currently supported. Therefore, each Word product must use the fonts installed in its respective operating environment (Microsoft Windows or Apple System 6.0 or 7.0).

For example, if you use a font in a Word for the Macintosh document that isn't available in Word for Windows, when you convert that document, a different Windows font that is close to (but not necessarily the same as) the original Macintosh font must be substituted. This font's dimensions will likely differ, which results in a different number of characters per line and a different overall document length. Even if a font with the same name is available on the target platform, a different vendor has probably developed it, and its dimensions may differ with the same effect on pagination.

To minimize pagination differences due to differences in fonts across platforms, you may want to use a standard set of fonts on both your Macintosh and Windows computer. For example, you may want to invest in a set of TrueType fonts that include matching fonts for use on both platforms. Then, if like fonts do not map to like fonts automatically, you can create a custom font-mapping file that will override the default mapping performed by the converter to give you the mapping you want.

For example, if Word for Windows maps the TrueType font Courier New to Courier by default when you save a document in Word for the Macintosh format, you can place a custom font-mapping file in your Word for Windows directory that forces Courier New to map to Courier New.

If users will be sharing files across a network, and you don't know in which format all files will be transferred, you may want to create standard, preemptive font-mapping files on each platform and copy them to every workstation so that the mapping process is completely transparent to your users.

For more information on creating a custom font-mapping file, depending on which product from which you normally initiate the conversion process, see the Conversion Information document in your Word for the Macintosh folder or the Convinfo.doc file in your Word for Windows directory.

When you convert documents to Word for Windows, if you normally turn on the Fractional Widths option in the Page Setup dialog box in Word for the Macintosh, depending on the fonts in use, you may be seeing more characters on a line in Word for the Macintosh than you will for the same font in Word for Windows. Turning this option on or off prior to converting to Word for Windows actually has no effect on how the file is converted. However, it does affect your display in Word for the Macintosh, and if you have this option on, you may be surprised by the change that occurs when the document is opened in Word for Windows. For more information on when you should use the Fractional Widths option, see &quot;Choosing the Correct Page Setup&quot; in Chapter 4 of the user's guide for Microsoft Word for the Macintosh version 5.1.

Minimizing the Effects of Line Spacing Differences
In Word for the Macintosh, &quot;Auto&quot; or &quot;At Least&quot; line spacing yields a greater number of lines per page than are allowed for a page with equal dimensions and the same line spacing measure(s) in Word for Windows. Therefore, if a Word for the Macintosh document formatted with &quot;Auto&quot; or &quot;At Least&quot; line spacing is converted to Word for Windows, fewer lines appear on each page and the document becomes longer. On the other hand, when a Word for Windows document formatted with &quot;Auto&quot; or &quot;At Least&quot; line spacing is converted to Word for the Macintosh, more lines appear on each page and the document therefore becomes shorter.

NOTE: All line spacing values other than &quot;Auto&quot; applied as direct formatting in Word for Windows are converted to their &quot;At Least&quot; equivalent measures in Word for the Macintosh, and vice versa, by default.

A quick, simple method of minimizing pagination changes due to differences in &quot;Auto&quot; and &quot;At Least&quot; line spacing is to choose Select All from the Edit menu in the target program and set line spacing to Exactly 1 li. For conversions to Word for Windows, this could be automated with a macro that first converts the document and then completes these simple steps.

Setting line spacing to an exact value after conversion will not eliminate pagination changes, and may be more effective when applied to documents converted from Word for the Macintosh to Word for Windows. This is because it is more closely associated with &quot;Auto&quot; and &quot;At Least&quot; line spacing on the Macintosh than it is with Windows.

Because both Word for Windows and Word for Macintosh treat line spacing set to &quot;Exactly&quot; the same way, you may want to establish a standard set of paragraph styles in each program that includes both the correct font definition and the matching exact line spacing for a particular paragraph type. Because style definitions are preserved in conversion between the two products, the font and line spacing information defined for each style are also retained.

For example, if you normally use only one font and line spacing setting throughout your documents, modify the Normal style in Word for the Macintosh to include a 12 point font and a line spacing increment of exactly 12pt (12 point). This ensures that the exact same number of lines will appear on a page when you convert the document to Word for Windows.

If you do make use of multiple fonts or multiple line spacing increments within a document, you need to create style definitions for each anticipated format combination, and use those styles as you create your document.

NOTE: Whereas the relative line spacing measures &quot;Auto&quot; and &quot;At Least&quot; adjust for the largest graphic or font size on a line, the absolute line spacing measure &quot;Exactly&quot; does not. Therefore, the tradeoff in applying exact line spacing, is that if your document contains an inserted graphic or OLE object, a line that includes such a graphic or object does not expand, so you only see the portion of the graphic that fits on that one line.

To work around this problem, select the graphic and click the Single line spacing button (in Word for the Macintosh), or choose Format Paragraph and set Line Spacing to Single (in Word for Windows).

Additional query words: conv typeface typestyle type face style true textconv

Keywords : kbinterop winword macword wordconvert

Issue type : kbhowto

Technology : kbWordSearch kbWordWSearch kbWordMSearch