Columns

Learning Outcomes

  • Create columns.
A dictionary has been opened to the page where all words that begin with R is. On the dictionary is a folded pair of reading glasses.

Reference books, magazines, and newspapers commonly use a layout with two or more columns.

Columns can help you fit more text on a page or provide better readability. Some documents, such as a newsletter or newspaper, are customarily formatted with columns. Columns are typically used for shorter pieces of text (like dictionary definitions or short articles) rather than longer readings.

To add columns, either select the text you want to arrange into columns or place your cursor where you want columns to start. Then, go to Layout>Columns and select the number of columns. (For more than three columns, select More Columns… at the bottom of the menu.)

A Microsoft Word document is open with text on it. A large green arrow is pointing to the ribbon menu and directly at the columns option. The columns dropdown menu as been activated providing different options on how you want to format your columns.

A Microsoft Word document is open with text on it.

You can also end a column with a column break. Place the cursor where you want to end a column, then select Layout>Breaks>Column Break.

A Microsoft Word document is open with text on it. A large green arrow is pointing at the "breaks" option in the ribbon menu. The dropdown for the "breaks" menu has been opened revealing six new options. A smaller green arrow is pointing at the columns button on the list from the dropdown menu.

Adding a column break will end the column and send text to the next column. Note that a column break is tied to the location within the text, not the location on the page. Putting a column break before the Mobile Commerce headline will put a column break before the Mobile Commerce headline, regardless of how much text comes before or after the Mobile Commerce headline.

Practice Question