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: Understanding the Advance Field.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 27, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Fields allow you to control special features in Word, or to insert special information in your documents. One of the fields you can use is the Advance field. This field is used for positioning the text that follows the field. All text to the end of the paragraph is affected. For instance, let's say you wanted all the text after the field to be moved up by six points. You could use the following field:
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:
{ ADVANCE \u 6 }
This might not seem like such a big deal, since you can also move text up by using superscript formatting. However, the field can be cumulative, so that you can create some interesting effects. Let's say, for example, that you wanted each word in a sentence to move up by six points from the word before. In this instance, all you need to do is include the above field at the beginning of each word in the sentence. Word formats the text so it appears to be "stair stepping" upwards.
There are several switches you can use with the Advance field, as follow.
| Switch | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| \d | Moves text down a specified number of points. | |
| \l | Moves text left a specified number of points. (Text to the left is overwritten.) | |
| \r | Moves text right a specified number of points. | |
| \u | Moves text up a specified number of points. | |
| \x | Moves text a specified distance from the left margin of the column or frame. | |
| \y | Moves text to the specified vertical position relative to the current line position. The entire line of text that contains the field is moved. |
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (547) 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: Understanding the Advance Field.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!
Word allows you to configure what you see so that field codes are visible instead of the results of those field codes. ...
Discover MoreFields are used for a variety of dynamic purposes in a document. There are a couple of ways you can easily insert fields, ...
Discover MoreTemplates are a great way to create new documents because they act as intricate patterns to what those new documents ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-08-09 09:48:28
Teresa
Word 97 the y advanced to a specific vertical position on the page, NOT specific to current line position. We used it to enter text on a specific line for each document. It doesn't work in Word 10
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 © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments