Mixing Column Formats On a Page

Summary: Want to switch the number of columns used for your text, in the middle of a page? You can do this very easily by following the steps in this tip. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

It is not uncommon to have a document that mixes different column layouts on a single page. For instance, let's assume you have a five-page document, and you want to format the center part of page two as three columns. You want the rest of the document to remain a single column. To overcome this formatting challenge, you can follow these steps if you are using Word 97 through Word 2003:

Select the text that will appear in the columns.
Choose the Columns option from the Format menu. Word displays the Columns dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
In the Number of Columns field, specify the number of columns you desire.
In the Apply To box, make sure it says Selected Text.
Click on OK. Word places the selected text into its own section and sets it in the number of columns you specified.

If you are using Word 2007, then the steps are a bit different:

Select the text that will appear in the columns.
Choose the Page Layout tab for the ribbon.
In the Page Setup group, click the Columns drop-down list.
Pick the number of columns you want to use for the selected text.

Tip #1792 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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Mixing Column Formats On a Page