Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: Using a Single-Column Heading in a Multi-Column Layout.
There may be many times when your document layout calls for using a single-column section in the middle of a multi-column page layout. For instance, if you are creating a newsletter, you may want three columns in the newsletter, but a headline that spreads across all the columns. To do this, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Columns dialog box.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9357) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Using a Single-Column Heading in a Multi-Column Layout.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!
Word allows you to insert dynamic page numbers within your document. With some page number formatting, though, it is ...
Discover MoreWhen you create a document, you need to be concerned about the final size of the page you will be creating. Word supports ...
Discover MoreWord is great at numbering pages if you only need a single, consistent numbering scheme through the document. If you need ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2015-12-26 12:00:59
Great tip. I took over a non-profit's newsletter, and have been looking for a way to do exactly this with its template. I'm using Word 2010, and there was no "Apply to Selected Text" in my drop-down. Instead, my choices were "Apply to Selected Sections" and "Apply to Whole Document." The "Sections" choice worked just fine. This difference may be due simply to the way the originator set up the template.
2015-01-16 12:25:08
Bhanu
Yes, its impressive lessons, something to learn always with little tips helping me to understand complications slowly
2015-01-15 10:35:32
Mark
Can someone contact Microsoft and tell them about this problem? There is no reason a continuous break is necessary. The absence of a title field is generally a problem. I want a title field to use for hyperlinks, headers and table of contents. AFAIK, there is no method in Word for this.
2015-01-12 09:46:25
Jennifer Thomas
Reva - so sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you still get continuous section breaks with this method because that is how Word gives you different margin settings within one page.
Another way to achieve this visually is to use a table with merged fields, but then you face the editing, formatting, and navigation restrictions involved with text in tables.
2015-01-10 20:18:38
Sheila McInnes
I think this still puts in a section break?
2015-01-10 09:54:26
Reva
This is great news! It's a huge step forward from having to apply the necessary but dreaded section breaks. This tip has made my day!
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: 
Comments