Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 28, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Walter's screen shows two pages of his document, side by side. He only wants one page the full width of the screen, but he's not sure how to change that.
As you adjust the zoom settings used by Word, you may notice that Word automatically displays multiple pages of your document at the same time. This is especially true if you are using a widescreen monitor at a high resolution. In that case, as you get your zoom factor down to near 50%, Word automatically switches to display two pages.
There are a few ways that you can get back to a single page. The first thing you'll want to do, however, is to make sure you are not using one of Word's non-standard views. For instance, if you are in Reading Layout view, it can affect what is on your screen. Try pressing the Esc key, using the view icons on the Status bar, or using the choices from the View menu to return to a regular view, such as Normal or Page Layout.
One easy way to display just a single page is to simply "zoom out" a bit by holding down the Ctrl key as you move the scroll wheel on your mouse. As you zoom in and Word discovers that it can no longer display two pages on the screen, it should switch automatically to show only a single page.
Another approach is to choose Zoom from the View menu in order to display the Zoom dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. The Zoom dialog box.
Select the Page Width radio button and click OK. Word calculates the proper zoom percentage to show a single page at the width available on your screen. If you prefer, you can click one of the other single-page options—Whole Page or Text Width. (Pick the one that gives you the appearance you desire.)
If, for some reason, your zoom setting still doesn't look right, you may be interested in the information provided at this page on the Word MVP site:
http://wordmvp.com/FAQs/General/SaveViewAndZoom.htm
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (966) 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: Displaying a Single Page.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
Does the ruler in Word seem to have a mind of its own? If you have problems understanding why the ruler behaves as it ...
Discover MoreIn an effort to make your writing better, Word uses "squiggly" underlines to mark things it thinks you may need to ...
Discover MoreNormally, Word allows you to specify what measurement units you want used for the program; just choose Tools | Options | ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2023-03-09 15:23:02
Cadence
THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
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