WinWord: Text Not Vertically Centered with Large Header/Footer

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SUMMARY

If a Microsoft Word for Windows document contains large headers or footers, the top or bottom margin increases to accommodate the header or footer text. If you vertically center text on a page with large headers or footers, Word for Windows aligns the text between the adjusted margins rather than between the original margins. This may give the appearance that the text's alignment is no longer vertically centered.

MORE INFORMATION

You can vertically center text on a page by choosing Section Layout (or Section in version 1.x) from the Format menu and selecting Center in the Vertical Alignment box. This vertically centers the section's text between the page margins, rather than between the edges of the page.

When you insert a header/footer, Word for Windows inserts it within the top/bottom margin. If the header/footer is bigger than the margin, the header/footer pushes the margin down or up to make room for itself. Vertically-centered text is then re-aligned between the adjusted margins.

To illustrate how Word for Windows vertically centers text in a document containing a long header/footer, follow the steps below:

1. Create a new document, and type a line of text.

2. Position the insertion point on the line of text. From the Format menu, choose Section Layout (Section in version 1.x). Select Center in the Vertical Alignment box, then choose the OK button.

3. From the File menu, choose Print Preview. Choose the Margins button. Notice that the text is centered in the middle of the top and bottom margins.

4. From the View menu, choose Normal.

5. From the View menu, choose Header, type containing 10 lines of text, and choose the Close Button.

6. From the File menu, choose Print Preview. Choose the Margins button.

For more information on vertical alignment, search for "vertical alignment" using the Help menu in Word for Windows version 2.0.

Reference(s):

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," version 1.x, page 315

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, page 164, 447, 572-573