Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Floating Footer.

Floating Footer

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 25, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


1

Julie asked if there was a way, in a two-column document, to make a special footer that "floats" five lines beneath the end of the right column on the last page of the document.

The short answer is no, there is not a way. Why? Because footers can only appear in the footer area of a document—which is, by definition, at the same place at the bottom of each page. The longer answer is that you probably don't want a footer, at least not what Word terms a footer.

The most likely solution is to utilize a text box. You can define one that is anchored to the final paragraph of your document. It will then float as the document grows or contracts. You can even instruct Word to position the text box so it appears five lines below the last paragraph of the document.

For help with creating text boxes and positioning them, refer to other issues of WordTips or to the online help system within Word itself.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7752) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Floating Footer.

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. ...

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What is four less than 4?

2019-03-02 07:58:06

Maureen Devaney

When I typed my girlfriend's email address, I put two lower case l's in her name. The email came back and I realized what I did. i edited the address and deleted the extra 'l' but ever since (over 3 years ago), when I reply to one of her emails to me, my computer puts the wrong email address in to the Reply section instead of her correct email address. I have deleted the wrong email address and cannot find any others so is it in memory in Yahoo and how do I get rid of it My mail is always being returned due to the wrong email address and I have to send a "new" email which does have her correct email. I cannot find the wrongly spelled email address on my contact list. Any suggestions?


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