WD: Paragraph Formatting Continues After Column Break (184020)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows 95
Microsoft Word for Windows 95 7.0a
Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0a
Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0b
Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0a
Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0c

This article was previously published under Q184020

SYMPTOMS

In a Microsoft Word document, when you insert a column break and then immediately apply paragraph formatting to the first paragraph of a new column, that format is also applied to the last paragraph of the previous column.

CAUSE

When you insert a column break into your document, it starts a new column, but it does not start a new paragraph. This means that if paragraph formatting is applied anywhere within the paragraph (before and after the column break), that formatting will apply to both parts of the paragraph (before and after the column break).

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, enter a paragraph mark at the end of the column immediately before the column break. To do this, follow these steps:

Place the insertion point in the last line of the column immediately before the column break.
Press END to move the insertion point to the end of the column.
Press ENTER to enter a paragraph mark.

You will now be able to apply paragraph formatting to the second column without affecting the first column.

MORE INFORMATION

This behavior was changed in Microsoft Word 97 for Windows and Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition. In Word 97 and Word 98, when you enter a column break and then apply paragraph formatting, that formatting will not apply to the paragraph immediately prior to the column break.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

89303 WD: Paragraph Borders Overlap with Multiple Columns

Modification Type:	Minor	Last Reviewed:	8/17/2005
Keywords:	kbformat kbhowto KB184020