Choosing a layout method

OpenOffice.org 2.x Writer Guide

Chapter 4: Formatting Pages

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• Choosing a layout method
• Setting up basic page layout using styles
• Changing page margins
• Using columns to define the page layout
• Using frames for page layout
• Using tables for page layout
• Using sections for page layout
• Creating headers and footers
• Numbering pages

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The best layout method varies depending on what the final document should look like and what sort of information will be in the document. Here are some examples.

For a book similar to this user guide, with one column of text, some figures without text beside them, and some other figures with descriptive text, use page styles for basic layout, and tables to place figures beside descriptive text when necessary.

File:FormatEx1.png

500px

Use page styles (with two columns) for an index or other document with two columns of text where the text continues from the left-hand column to the right-hand column and then to the next page, all in sequence (also known as snaking columns of text). If the title of the document (on the first page) is full-page width, put it in a single-column section.

File:FormatEx2.png

500px

For a newsletter with complex layout, two or three columns on the page, and some articles that continue from one page to some place several pages later, use page styles for basic layout. Place articles in linked frames and anchor graphics to fixed positions on the page if necessary.

File:FormatEx3.png

500px

For a document with terms and translations to appear side-by-side in what appear to be columns, use a table to keep items lined up, and so you can type in both “columns".

File:FormatEx4.png

500px

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