You are here: Home › Document Formatting › Word Captions Formatting Goes Crazy!
Word Captions Formatting Goes Crazy!
by Helen
(New Zealand)
I am having problems with a document that uses Word captions and heading styles. I can make the file look perfect on screen. However, when I go to print the document (or even print preview), the formatting changes.
Images that I have previously deleted from the document reappear, text that should be a normal style changes to captions (both of these styles are customised), and spaces appear before or after cross-references to figure captions. I believe it has something to do with the captions as the problem also occurs when caption fields are updated. I have tried saving the file as a pdf to avoid the issue but the same problem occurs. Manually making and saving changes to the document does not help as the problem reoccurs each time I print or export it. Please help!
Update: I found a solution for another reader who was experiencing similar caption problems. Jump to my discussion with Craig.
ANSWER:
It sounds like several unrelated problems are happening at the same time. I'll try to help without seeing the actual document. (You didn't mention which version of Word you are using, so I'm assuming you are using Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010.)
Using Print Layout View
You want what you see on screen to be the same as what prints, so make sure you work in print layout view. Click the View tab on the ribbon. In the Document Views group, make sure Print Layout is selected. That won't fix the problem, but if you are using some other view, it may be why everything looks fine on screen then messed up in Print Preview.
Stopping Caption Fields and Images from Updating
Word is automatically updating the fields when you print. Additionally, I think the images that reappear may be linked images. Even though you deleted the image, there may still be some sort of reference to it inside your document. When you print, Word is updating the link.Verify that caption fields and linked objects are not updating each time you print.
Here is how to do it:
- Click the Office Button, then Word Options. In Microsoft Word 2010, click the File tab, then select Options. Select the Display tab.Under Printing Options, deselect Update fields before printing and also deselect Update linked data before printing.
- Click OK.
Now test and see if that stops the captions from updating and images from reappearing when you print the document or convert to PDF.(If the deleted images still reappear and you are working with Master and Sub documents, delete one of the images in both documents and see if that stops the problem.)
Stopping Text from Unexpectedly Reformatting
In Microsoft Word, the formatting data is contained in hidden text markers at the end of each paragraph. If you used a soft carriage return (pressed Shift+Enter) at the end of a paragraph of Normal styled text, then formatted the next sentence as a caption, the whole paragraph will pick up the custom caption style. To see hidden markers, press Ctrl + *.
Now look at end of the paragraph that keeps changing to the
custom caption style. Is there a paragraph symbol
there,
or does it look like a left-pointing arrow
?If
it looks like an arrow, delete the arrow, then press Enter to
create a hard carriage return.
You may need to reapply your
custom styles to the paragraph and caption. Check and make
sure that each paragraph ends with a paragraph symbol and not
two or three soft carriage returns.
While the hidden markers are still showing, go through your
document and delete stray spaces and tabs.
See the discussion, Removing White Space for more help. Stray spaces and tabs cause all kinds of problems with document layout. From my experience, stray spaces is the number one reason for weird formatting errors. Using multiple soft carriage returns instead of pressing Enter for a hard carriage return is probably number two!
I hope these suggestion solve your problems. If so, please leave a comment and let me know what worked so other readers with the similar problems can be helped, too.
Have you had a similar problem? Or do you have an additional answer? Please contribute in the comments section below.
Return from Word Captions Formatting Goes Crazy to Document Formatting
