Can I make Word document always open in print layout view?

W

Willgood

Our documents are designed to look good in print layout view (which is what
we prepare them in). But I am worried that clients are opening them in
'Normal' or 'Web Layout', where they can look rubbish. Is there a way to make
a document open in print layout view? Thanks!
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

A document will open in the view in which it was saved, so your documents
should open for clients the way you intend. If they change the view to the
one they prefer, that is their prerogative. One caveat: you can't control
(other than by macro, which would make your documents *very* unwelcome)
whether the recipient has nonprinting characters or text boundaries
displayed. So (a) make sure you have reduced nonprinting characters to the
minimum by eliminating empty paragraphs, unneeded tab characters, etc., and
(b) you might suggest that recipients view the document in Print Preview.
 
W

Willgood

Thanks very much for this Suzanne.

I did some experimenting and on my computer if I have the Word program open
and then open a document, then the document opens in the view that it was
saved in (as you say).

But this doesn't happen if I open the Word document where it is the
attachment to an email. Doing this, it seems to revert to Normal view. Is
this correct in your experience? Is there anything to affect how a document
opens from an email?

Regards,
Will
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

I would expect the attachment to open in the view in which it was saved. If
it is coming from someone else, then you have no way of knowing this. Are
you saying that if you send yourself a document saved in Print Layout view,
when you open the attachment it is in Normal view?
 
W

Willgood

Interesting...I just experimented and in my webmail the attachment opens in
Print Layout view (just as I saved it).

But when I open a document in Outlook, it always opens them in Reading
Layout. Maybe this is a quirk of my system, or do you think a lot of people
have this default setting?
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

Ah, well, you didn't mention Reading Layout before! You can disable this in
Word by clearing "Allow starting in Reading Layout" on the General tab of
Tools | Options.
 
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