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WORD: Set up so it is like typing on lined paper 1

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garybug

garybug

Programmer
Jul 27, 2003
42
GB
Is there an easy way to do this.. Keeping underline on looks wrong, and creating a table doesn't work, since as soon as you move onto a new line it wraps the text.

I though about creating & using a background and altering the line spacing to match, but that seems like way too much work!

Any ides appreciated..

Ta

Gbug
 
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You could use a lined one column table and when you get to the end use Tab, which moves the cursor to the next row.

Kind of a kludge though.

Why do you want to do this?

Gerry
 
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One of our idiot bosses seems to think it will look good..! I can see what he's getting at, and I'm surprised there isin't something in the Options menu to facilitate this. I think I'm going to have to go down the bankground / line spacing route if all else fails.

Thanks for the reply though.
 
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BTW,

If you were actually typing on lined paper, chances are that the line spacing would not match either pica or elete (6 lines per inch, 8 lines per inch or multiples thereof)

Skip,
[sub]
[glasses] [red]Be Advised![/red] The Vinyards of Texas have produced a wine with diuretic dimishment and urethric relief...
Pinot More![tongue][/sub]
 
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There are complicated forms that were put together using the table method Gerry described (and with the drawbacks mentioned). At some point I’m going to have to update these monsters, so if there’s a better way to do it, it would make a lot of people very happy.

Kludge, indeed. IMO, there should be a law against tables in Word.
 
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Tell you boss it can't be done.....

Sigh. I do wish people would realize that Word is a word processor, NOT a graphics application.

Gerry
 
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Fumei: Wise words indeed..

Skip: Good point, but by building a custom background I can set the 'lines' as I see fit in order to match the line spacing. I'm going down that route, so fingers crossed. If he says he doesn't like it, I'll do my best not to slap him about with my tea mug.

Thanks all..

Gbug
 
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Tell your boss that Microsoft haven't allowed for lined paper as an option - technically simple, but maybe there is no market demand. Also Google to see if anyone else has, though I'd be surprised.

[yinyang] Madawc Williams (East Anglia, UK). Using Windows XP & Crystal 10 [yinyang]
 
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This is so dumb. If you have a lined background you are going to be completely restricted in:

[ul][li]using ANY difference in font size, as they could overlap the lines[/li]
[li]using ANY tables, as they will overlap the lines[/li][/ul]

Further, printing....ugh, yuck. This goes against all princples of good documentation and readability.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Here is a suggestion. Make a dummy document with lined background. Make an identical one without. Show them both. Hmmmmm...gee, maybe you're right....the lined thing is hard to read, distracting, and.....dumb dumb dumb.

Gerry
 
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Did you ever see green-bar reports that were not properly alligned? THAT was so distracting to me!

The graphical impact so overwhelmed my other perceptions, that it was difficult for me to assimilate the printed information.

TOTALLY DISTRACTING!

Skip,
[sub]
[glasses] [red]Be Advised![/red] The Vinyards of Texas have produced a wine with diuretic dimishment and urethric relief...
Pinot More![tongue][/sub]
 
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Exactly.

You know, there ARE princples of readability. People have done some serious research into this. People have written doctorate level papers on this. This is not voodoo - there ARE things that help people read stuff. There ARE things that make it more difficult to read stuff.

It turns out that most of the things that seem "cool" are just down right bad in terms of readability.

If the purpose is to have people actually read - either on screen, or hardcopy - then for bleep sake make that the purpose and create things accordingly. If the purpose is to demonstrate how "cool" one is at making graphical statements...then find another job.

It is like those horrible Powerpoint presentations with zooming graphics and blah blah blah animations. Excuse me for getting somewhat in a lather, but these seem almost mastabatory. They are for the benefit of the person creating them. They have no benefit for the audience. And a reader of a document IS the audience of that document.

OK....I have said enough.

Gerry
 
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Gbug,

Take the whole darned thing into Excel. Lines are easy to manage there. ;-)

[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ181-2886 before posting.
 
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[lol]
Crack me up....

Right on! Except of course it IS supposed to be a document....I think.

Gerry
 
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garybug,
With the hope that you will be able to adapt it for your needs, the following is how I set up "lined paper" in Word 2003:

File > Page Setup
Margins tab
Top: 1”
Bottom: 0.85”
Left: 1”
Right: 1”
Layout tab
Header: 0.85”
Footer: 0.35”
OK

Ctrl-A (select all)
Ctrl-2 (double spacing for document text)
IMPORTANT! Type a sample line of text (for alignment purposes)

Insert > Text Box
Click and drag to form a text box to fit all margins
Double-click Text Box border (Format Text Box) and make the following changes:
Text Box tab
Internal Margins
Left: 0”
Right: 0”
Top: 0”
Bottom: 0”
Size tab
Height: 9”
Width: 6.5”
Colors and Lines tab
Line Color: No line
OK

Click inside the Text Box (to place cursor)
Ctrl-A (select all)
Using the tab ruler, set a Right tab at the Right Margin
Ctrl-2 (double spacing for the “lined paper”)
Ctrl-U (underline)
Tab, Enter (24 times, until you reach the bottom of the text box; do not “Enter” on last line)
NOTE! The last line will be touching the gray border of the Text Box.
Click on border of Text Box (to select)
Ctrl-X (cut)
Edit > View Header and Footer
Ctrl-V (paste)
Click border of Text Box then use Ctrl-UpArrow/DownArrow to adjust the alignment of the first line with the sample text
Close Header
Ready to use!
 
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!!!!!!!

Textboxes????? Well, there goes any sane use of Styles and easy editing. There goes any ease of VBA. All that for a (IMHO) bad design. Can be done, but really....come on.

Being able to type as if on lined paper is a graphical "cool"ness that has no connection to clear and sustainable documentation. I ask again - what is the purpose of this? Of what possible benefit to someone actually either reading or editing this document?

I see no benefit at all. I see maintainence issues galore.

However, if anyone at all can elaborate on even the smallest advantage of this, I am more than willing to listen. I am, in fact, VERY interested in getting any sort positive support for this.

Gerry
 
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Go to Format > Autoformat > Options. Click Autoformat as you type (tab). Make sure the Borders option is checked.

Now starting on the top line, enter "---" (three hyphens) and hit enter. Repeat on each line.

When you are all the way to the bottom of the page, save the file as a Word Tamplate.

Presto, lined paper.

Sawedoff

 
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Good one. However....

1. You must use the down arrow to go to the next line, rather than the normal Enter key. Training issue - and is it worth it????
2. Text entered into a line will NOT be on a line if it goes beyond the right margin. See #1 above.
3. Try pasting in ANY text that contains a paragraph mark.
4. Try putting in a table. The top border matches the underline of the line above, AND there is no way to easily make a space...as the lines are now into the paragraphs.

Not a solution IMHO. And I am still interested in someone explaining why this would be a good thing in the first place.

Gerry
 
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I agree, Gerry, but when one is being pressured to do something, however stupid, I try to pitch in. There is no smart solution to a dumb request.

Sawedoff

 
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->There is no smart solution to a dumb request

I'd like to have a stamp made up with that saying on it.

Then, when someone in the office comes over here and asks me something really stupid, I could just slam the stamp into ink and smack the offender in the forehead with it.

*Thump, Thump*

Man, that would be satisfying.

[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ181-2886 before posting.
 
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My boss at a previous job had a stamp that said "Ask me if I care". You could keep them in the same drawer.

Sawedoff

 
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