Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Setting Up Multi-page Columns.
Ivan has been struggling trying to set up parallel columns that go from one page to the next. What he wants is, in landscape mode, to have three columns on the page. When the text reaches the bottom of a column, it flows to the same column on the next page, not to the next column on the same page.
The best solution for this is to use a table with a single row and as many columns as you need. The row can span multiple pages, and the text will stay in each cell of the table, as desired. You may have to play around with the formatting a bit (turning off borders, adjusting interior spacing, locking column width, adding columns for additional spacing, etc.), but once you get the hang of it, the approach is quite simple.
There is a caveat to all this, of course. Tables, while they can span multiple pages, can do some funny things if they span many, many pages. It is a good idea to periodically start a new row. If you do lots of this type of formatting, it is an even better idea to get a desktop publishing program, such as InDesign, which can make very short work of such layout challenges.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (362) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Setting Up Multi-page Columns.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
It is important to understand how column widths relate to the margins you may have set in your document. The reason is ...
Discover MoreWant to switch the number of columns used for your text, in the middle of a page? You can do this very easily by ...
Discover MoreIf you need to change the number of columns used in a portion of your document, it's easy to do when you use the Columns ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: 
Comments