Understanding View Options

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 25, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


It seems that Word can be customized in an almost unlimited number of ways. One way in which you can customize Word is by specifying how information will appear when it is viewed on your screen. The types of customizations available, however, depend on the View you are using. (Views--such as Normal, Page Layout, and Outline--have been covered in other WordTips.) The upshot of this is that you should check the View tab of the Options dialog box (choose Options from the Tools menu, then click on View) in each of your different Views. At the top of the dialog box you can see a notation of which View you are using, and the rest of the dialog box contains the specific options Word maintains for that View.

The behavior of the View tab is a bit different in Word 2000 and Word 2002. In these versions, Word doesn't differ the controls in the View tab based on the view you are using. Instead, all available controls are shown in the tab, but they are organized differently than in previous versions of Word.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (652) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Removing All Formatting

Getting rid of formatting from a cell or group of cells can be done using several different techniques. This tip ...

Discover More

Putting a Different Date in a Header

Today's date is easy to add to a header, but what if you want to add a date that is adjusted in some manner? Adding ...

Discover More

Jumping to Tables

If your document contains quite a few tables, you may find it helpful to jump quickly from one table to another. There ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Word Won't Start Right

Sometimes it seems that no matter what you do, you can't display Word on your screen. If this is the case, it could be ...

Discover More

Changing Color of the Insertion Point

In your quest to customize Word, you may change the colors used to display your document. After doing so, it may become ...

Discover More

The Case of the Disappearing Icons

Troubleshooting your custom icons on the Toolbar.

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 7 + 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

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.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.