In Word Drawing why does the cursor go to the top after deletion.

[Gary at WD]

In using the drawing tools in Word, every time I do a copy and paste or do a
delete contents, the cursor goes to the top of the page after the operation
has been completed. This is driving me crazy and I have looked for a way to
change this on several different occasions, without success. If someone can
tell me how to turn this off, I will be very grateful. Thanks.

 

[Ken Johnson]

In using the drawing tools in Word, every time I do a copy and paste or do a
delete contents, the cursor goes to the top of the page after the operation
has been completed. This is driving me crazy and I have looked for a way to
change this on several different occasions, without success. If someone can
tell me how to turn this off, I will be very grateful. Thanks.

Hi Gary at WD,

Is it because the nearest text is at the top of the page above where
you are placing your drawing?

If so then you could double click on the page close to your drawing
then type any character.
After copy/paste, delete etc, the furthest the cursor will go is to
that nearby character you typed.

Ken Johnson

 

[Keith Howell]

That's why I always create a page full of RETURNS before I start doing any
serious graphics then at least it only skips to the nearest line start. More
importantly, if I then add text it reduces the problem of shoving the
graphics around when they are finished. WORD is not a graphics program so you
have to live with some of its idiosyncracies

See www.drawingwithword.com

 

[Jezebel]

This is bad advice to be giving. You're quite right that Word is a lousy
graphics editor, but creating a page full of empty paragraphs is a dreadful
solution.

 

[Keith Howell]

It's in the catagory of "it works for me" but if there is a better way then I
am only too willing to hear of it. If you have looked through
www.drawingwithword.com you will know that I get involved in some fairly out
of the ordinary graphics for Word (a lot of full page stuff) and that is why
I fill a page with Returns before starting.

What's the alternative then?

 

[Jezebel]

You're rather missing the point. As you say in your original post, Word is
not primarily a graphics program: it is for creating *documents*, and
filling a page with empty paragraphs, as a general practice, makes of mess
of your document. Of course, you're free to use Word in any way you like --
if you find that pages of empty paragraphs makes it easier to create the
sort of graphics you're fond of, go right ahead. But it is piss-poor advice
to be giving to people who want to use Word seriously.

Out of interest, why do you waste time trying to beat Word into submission
as a graphics application? As your website makes clear, no matter how much
skill and effort you put in, the results are mediocre at best.

 

[Keith Howell]

Wow - I really must have upset you at some time in the past.

I have never claimed to be a professional graphics artist and yes, I can use
Illustrator if needs be but that is not the point. I have been trying to
encourage folks who only have Word at their disposal to make the most of the
drawing tools that are available. If it were all dead simple this forum
wouldn't be needed.

You are entitled to your opinion as to the quality of anything I do, as you
are to any suggestions I make, although I am a little disappointed in the way
in which you dished it out. From your postings, you obviously know a lot more
about Word than I do, and probably ever will, but if I disagreed with
anything I hope I would have the good grace to raise it in a constructive &
pleasant way.

You can be very tough on folks at times

Finally, what I find intriguing is that having had a fairly vicious pop at
me, you still haven't come up with an alternative proposal to reducing the
problem that Gary raised

 

[Jezebel]

Your enthusiasm for amateurish graphics is no reason to encourage lousy
documents.

The original poster was looking for a way to deal with a minor
inconvenience, and you popped up with a solution that will cause them a
problem. I object to your offering stupid advice and you direct us to a
dismal website ...

ah well.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Gary -

While Keith & Jez continue to duke it out I just thought I might interject a
coupleof ideas

They revolve around the Drawing Canvas & whether you intend to a) create a
'full-page' graphic or b)include a graphic on a text page.

If there is a text flow, the first thing to keep in mind is that the graphic
*must* either be Inline with text (treated as a character in a text line) or
have Text Wrapping of some sort applied to it (free-floating). The second
thing is that Word 2002-2003 by default uses a feature called the Drawing
Canvas which I personally prefer to *not* use in this situation. You can
turn it off in Tools>Options>General - Remove check for Automatically create
drawing canvas.

OTOH, if you are creating the graphic on a blank page the Drawing Canvas can
help avoid the problem you describe. If the default setting to use the
canvas is off you can still insert one by going to Insert>Picture>New
Drawing. The page will still have a paragraph marker at the top of the page
& the canvas will be 'anchored' to it, but you can stretch the canvas to
whatever size you wish. As long as you use the drawing tools inside the
boundaries of the canvas you can copy/cut & paste, delete objects, etc.
without the annoyance of an insertion point jumping when you do. As much as
I dislike the canvas as a default feature, IMHO it is a far better approach
than filling the page with empty paragraphs.

Once you have completed your graphic you can resize the canvas if you wish
(to better fit its content snuggly), then add text outside the canvas if you
wish. The canvas can also be Inline with Text or have Text Wrapping applied
to it in order to control text flow, and you can also apply a fill
color/pattern/texture as well as a Line color, drop shadow, etc. to its
edge.

For more detail on how Word deals (or fails to deal) with graphics, you
might take a look at this page & the links from it;

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/DrawingGraphics.htm

Bottom line, though, is that for any degree of quality graphic content a
true graphics editing program - they range in price from hundred$ on down to
Free) - should be used to create & complete the artwork, then insert the
graphic into the doc. Also, since Word is a text-based program, the typical
workflow is to handle the text content & formatting *first*, then insert the
graphics & adjust from there.