Column Spacing at Top

M

mcp6453

My Word 2000 document has a single page with two columns of text. There
is a hard return at the top of the second column. How can I
automatically suppress the return? If I delete it and then change the
text in column one, the break has to be re-added and another one
deleted. I've tried all of the "Do not add" and "Remove" options in
Tools | Options. Thanks,
 
R

Rae Drysdale

Insert a column break where you want the new column to start. Insert | Break
and select column.
 
M

mcp6453

Rae said:
Insert a column break where you want the new column to start. Insert | Break
and select column.
Click to expand...

I did that, and it added more space to the second column that had to be
deleted manually. Plus, if I add text to the first column, I will have
to delete and add even more. Is there an automatic way to solve this
problem?
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

If you're just trying to balance the columns, add a Continuous break at the
end. There's no way to suppress Space Before when you use a hard column
break.
 
M

mcp6453

Suzanne said:
If you're just trying to balance the columns, add a Continuous break at the
end. There's no way to suppress Space Before when you use a hard column
break.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's a soft column break. That's why I ask, because I would
think that Word should be able to know that it is a soft break and would
suppress the hard return at the top of column two. Maybe not.
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

Indeed. But if the first paragraph in the first column has the same Space
Before, this has the effect of aligning the tops of the two paragraphs. Of
course, if a paragraph breaks in the middle, then you have Space Before at
the top of Column 1 and not at the top of Column 2. In this situation, it
might be better to use Space After instead of Before.
 
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