using a graphic as a footnote separator?

[Barbara White]

using Word XP on Windows XP

I want to control the line color and height of the footnote separator in
my Word template.

I thought to use the Drawing tool to do this, but drawing tools cannot
be used in Normal view and you have to be in Normal view to access the
Footnote Separator.

So I tried to go into the Footnote Separator area and create a
horizontal rule using formatted underscores, but I cannot get that rule
to be an exact length so that its right edge aligns with the right edge
of the page's footer.

Does anyone have any tips for how to create a footnote separator that is
horizontal rule of a particular width and color?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I had hoped it might be possible to create the rule elsewhere, then cut and
paste it into the Footnote Separator, but alas! that doesn't work.

 

[Keith Howell]

I have always simply gone into View /Header and Footer and then used the line
tool. I know Susan is not happy with this solution but it has never presented
a problem for me (I am not using XP however)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

We're not talking about headers and footers here but the Footnote Separator
in footnotes. It is an anomalous creature to begin with. It appears to be
some sort of drawing line (not font characters, not a border), but it can't
be stretched, though it can be copied and pasted.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

If, after inserting a footnote, you switch to Normal View and then select
Footnotes from the View menu, the footnote pane will be displayed and from
the footnotes pulldown, you can select the Footnote Separator item and then
replace the default separator with whatever you like - even a picture.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Barbara White]

If, after inserting a footnote, you switch to Normal View and then select
Footnotes from the View menu, the footnote pane will be displayed and from
the footnotes pulldown, you can select the Footnote Separator item and then
replace the default separator with whatever you like - even a picture.

Maybe I have a buggy file, but when I do this (draw a line in Print
Layout mode, copy it, move to Normal view, open the Footnotes Separator,
and do a Ctrl-V to paste the line), it bounce me back into Print Layout
view without pasting that line.

I must be missing something...?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Paste or create the line in Paint with the formatting that you want, then
copy it to the clipboard and paste it into Word as the footnote separator by
following the instructions previously provided.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I got the same result.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Barbara -

I'm having the same problem in Word 2003 - copying an AutoShape *or* a Paint
item & pasting to the Footnote Separator item in Normal View gives the same
behavior you described. Perhaps Doug has some additional insights to offer.

However, what I have had success with is deleting the default separator,
then going to Format>Borders & Shading. Apply a Top or Bottom border of
whatever color/style you wish. You can also click the Options button & use
the Top or Bottom 'From Text:' setting to adjust the vertical positioning.
Unfortunately there is no control over length, but it will run from margin
to margin.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You control the length with paragraph indents, which effectively change the
"margin."

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

I had done it in the office using Word 2000, but I have been able to do the
same things at home using 2003

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[CyberTaz]

Duh - Why didn't I think of that?... I do it in regular para borders all the
time!

 

[CyberTaz]

The same result as Barbara or the same result as Doug?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The same result as Barbara. Nothing I tried worked. I tried creating a line
in Word, copying it, pasting as a picture, changing the wrapping to In Line
With Text, then cutting and pasting--same result.

 

[Barbara White]

I was able to get both techniques--Paint and Borders/Shading--to work,
although the Borders and Shading option worked slightly better for me.
Still, I had to fiddle with it quite a lot to get the right edge of the
rule to align with the right edge of the footer. Ultimately, though, it
produced really great results.

Thanks to everyone for the help!