Microsoft Word 2010 - Level 2

CHAPTER 12 SECTION BREAKS

INFOCUS

WPL_W828

By default, Word documents are created with a single section and

therefore any formatting will be applied to the entire document.
But by inserting section breaks, you are able to split a document
into two or more sections, which allows you to apply different
formatting or page layout to individual sections. This is particularly
useful where you want different headers and footers for each
section, or you want to change the page orientation for specific
pages within a document, for example.

In this session you will:

 gain an understanding of section breaks and sections

 learn how to insert a next page section break
 learn how to insert a continuous section break
 learn how to insert an even page section break
 learn how to insert an odd page section break.

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 Microsoft Word 2010 - Level 2

UNDERSTANDING SECTION BREAKS

Section breaks enable you to split a document enables one section to have portrait orientation and
into several sections, enabling you to apply the other to have landscape orientation. There are
different formatting and layouts to each section. several types of sections breaks that you can insert
For instance, having two sections in a document depending on the requirements of the document.

What is a Section?
First of all, it is important to understand that page formatting and layout options are applied to the
entire document in Microsoft Word, irrespective of whether it consists of one page or one hundred
pages. Examples of document-wide formatting and layout options include headers and footers,
margins, page orientation and vertical text alignment.
However, consider a situation where you want to change the orientation of a single page to
landscape, enabling you to neatly insert a table with thirty columns. Or perhaps you are writing a
book? In that case, you will want different headers and/or footers for each chapter.
The way to achieve this is to section off each part of the document that requires alternative
formatting or layout. By inserting section breaks, you create sections and effectively isolate each
part of the document and protect it from formatting applied to other sections.

Types of Section Breaks

NEXT PAGE
As the name implies, a Next Page section break will start the section on the next page. You would
use this break when the changes you want to apply affect entire pages. For example if you want to:
create different headers and footers for different chapters, or if you want to change the page size,
orientation or the margins for one or a number of pages, then Next Page section breaks are ideal.

CONTINUOUS
A Continuous section break enables you to isolate text within a page and can be used, for instance,
to create newspaper-style columns. By default, text on a page is in one column, which spans from
the left to the right margin. By inserting two continuous section breaks (one at the beginning of the
text you want to isolate and the other at the end) you can apply a multi-column format to the section.

EVEN AND ODD PAGE

The Even and Odd Page section breaks are typically used in longer documents and books, such as
where headers and footers must mirror each other. For example, you might create a footer for even-
numbered pages, where the page number appears on the left side of the page, and an odd page
footer for odd-numbered pages, where the page number appears on the right side of the page.
Using Even Page and Odd Page section breaks, you can ensure that the footers appear where
they’re supposed to.
Use an Even Page break when you want the next page to start on an even-numbered page, and
use Odd Page breaks when you want the next page to start on an odd-numbered page.

NEW COLUMN
When multiple columns have been used in a document, the New Column section break enables you
to push text to the next column. For instance, to force a heading that is currently lingering at the
bottom of column one to the top of column two, you could insert a New Column break at the front of
the heading.

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 Microsoft Word 2010 - Level 2

INSERTING A NEXT PAGE SECTION BREAK

The next page section break is probably the as well as isolating and controlling the layout and
most commonly-used of the section breaks, setup of the pages in each section, such as page
especially in longer documents. By inserting next numbering, headers and footers, page orientation
page section breaks you can control pagination, and the vertical alignment of text.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise you MUST
Open
File

open the file W828 Section

Breaks_1.docx...

 Click to the left of Introduction, then

click on the View tab, then click on Draft
in the Document Views group
This view will enable you to see the
section breaks...

 Click on the Page Layout tab, then click

on Breaks in the Page Setup
group and select Next Page
The Status bar indicates that the text has
moved to page 2. We will now change
the layout of the first page...

 Press + to position the insertion

point at the start of the document
2

 Click on the View tab, then click on Print

Layout to switch to the default page
6

view

 Click on the Page Layout tab, then click

on the dialog box launcher for the
Page Setup group to display the Page
Setup dialog box

 Click on the Layout tab, then click on

the drop arrow for Vertical Alignment
and select Centre

 Click on [OK] and then save the

document
The text on this page is now centred on
the page, but this layout option has not
affected the other pages because of the
section break

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To insert a next page section break:  You can display the section number in the
1. Position the insertion point status bar. Right-click on the status bar to
display the Customise Status Bar menu
2. Click on the Page Layout tab
and select Section. This will help you to
3. Click on Breaks in the Page Setup identify the section where the insertion point
group and select Next Page is positioned.

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 Microsoft Word 2010 - Level 2

INSERTING A CONTINUOUS SECTION BREAK

Unlike the other types of section breaks, a change layout elements such as the number of
continuous section break does not alter the columns in which the text appears. This might be
pagination of a document. This section break handy, for instance, when creating a newsletter or
enables you to isolate text within a page and flyer.

3
Try This Yourself:
Before starting this exercise
Open
File

you MUST open the file W828

Section Breaks_2.docx...

 Go to page 5 and click to the

left of New York to position the
insertion point

 Click on the Home tab, then

click on Show/Hide in the
Paragraph group
This is another way to view 4
section breaks in your
document…

 Click on the Page Layout tab,

then click on Breaks in
the Page Setup group and
select Continuous
A continuous section break will
be inserted. We will now
change the layout of the text
following the section break...

 Ensure that the Page Layout

tab is active, then click on
Columns in the Page
Setup group and select Two
All text following the
continuous section break is
now arranged into two
columns…

 Click on Show/Hide and then

save the document

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To insert a continuous section break:  If you only want to apply columns to specific
1. Position the insertion point text in your document, make sure you insert
a continuous break immediately after the
2. Click on the Page Layout tab
columnised text as well as at the beginning
3. Click on Breaks in the Page Setup of the text to be columnised. This will ensure
group and select Continuous that subsequent text is not columnised.

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 Microsoft Word 2010 - Level 2

INSERTING AN EVEN PAGE SECTION BREAK

In long documents such as books and reports, an section will begin on the next even-numbered page.
even page section break is a useful feature for Even page section breaks are also useful for
controlling pagination. When an even page applying different headers and footers to even- and
section break is inserted, the first page of that odd-numbered pages.

Try This Yourself:

Continue using the previous
Same

file with this exercise, or open

File

the file W828 Section

Breaks_3.docx...

 Click to the left of the heading

For Further Information on
page 5 to position the insertion
point

 Click on the Home tab, then

click on Show/Hide in the
Paragraph group
This will enable you to view
section breaks in your 3
document…

 Click on the Page Layout tab,

then click on Breaks in
the Page Setup group and
select Even Page
An even page section break
will be inserted. You can see in
the Status bar that the page 4
now begins on the next even
page: page 6. Let’s view the
section break...

 Scroll up to the previous page

to view the even page section
break

 Click on Show/Hide to
turn off reveal formatting, and
then save the document

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To insert an even page section break:  In the example above it would appear that
1. Position the insertion point you could have used the Next Page section
break. However, if pages are inserted before
2. Click on the Page Layout tab
this page, the even page section break will
3. Click on Breaks in the Page Setup ensure that the page sits on the next even
group and select Even Page page, and Word will insert blank pages if
necessary.

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 Microsoft Word 2010 - Level 2

INSERTING AN ODD PAGE SECTION BREAK

In long documents such as books and reports, an section will begin on the next odd-numbered page.
odd page section break is a useful feature for Odd page section breaks are also useful for
controlling pagination. When an odd page applying different headers and footers to even- and
section break is inserted, the first page of that odd-numbered pages.

Try This Yourself:

Continue using the previous file with
Same
File

this exercise, or open the file W828

Section Breaks_4.docx...

 Click to the left of the heading

Introduction on page 2

 Click on the Home tab, then click on

Show/Hide in the Paragraph
group to reveal formatting 3

 Click on the Page Layout tab, then

click on Breaks in the Page
Setup group and select Odd Page
An odd page break will be inserted,
and the text has moved to the next
odd-numbered page (page 3)…

 Scroll up to the previous page to view

the odd page section break
We no longer require the Next Page
section break, so we can delete it... 4

 Click to the left of Section Break

(Next Page) on page 1 as shown

 Press
The Next Page section break is
removed, as well as the page
formatting that was applied earlier.
Only the odd page section break
remains. Let’s take a closer look...

 Click on the View tab, then click on 5

Draft to view the section breaks

 Save and close the document

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To insert an odd page section break:  Print Layout view does not display any
1. Position the insertion point blank pages that have been inserted as a
result of inserting odd page and even page
2. Click on the Page Layout tab
section breaks. To view blank pages, click on
3. Click on Breaks in the Page Setup the File tab, then click on Print to preview
group and select Odd Page and scroll through the document. Click on the
Home tab to return to the document.

© Watsonia Publishing Page 122 Section Breaks