Word table of contents

[kpizza]

ok i saved a word doc the way i want with table of contents...when i save and open it it looks fine. When someone elses computer opens it the table of contents are all messed up. What can i do to ensure no matter who opens my doc it all looks teh same?

~Krista~

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

"...the table of contents are all messed up"

HOW?

Are the topics out of order?

Is the Formatting not as expected?

Other?

Skip,
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[xlhelp]

Word file can look radically different on another system

explanation is here:

http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/TextReflow.htm

The best way to preserve the format is to convert it to a PDF file and send it.

Member- AAAA Association Against Acronym Abusers

 

[fumei]

And that is that.

The bottom line is that if you are opening a Word document, not just printing it via a PDF, there is absolutely no way to make sure it will look the same from computer to computer.

The layout of a Word document is totally derived by whatever printer driver THAT version of Word is using.

I have seen a document look different from one computer to another, even when both computers used the SAME printer. Not just the same kind of printer, but they both used the very same printer. They had slightly different version of the printer driver, and it was enough to make the document come out differently.

The irony of that was....neither computer actually used Word to print. Both made PDF. The PDF were different as well, because the PDF will look like the document as it is.

Same document.
Same printer.
Different printer driver.

= different layout
= different PDF look

That being said, most of the time the differences are fairly small. Table of Contents are, in fact, one of the worst areas affected by this.

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture

 

[25061959]

Hi,
Not sure I agree, is there a template attached? Would be better to make sure there is a template that all users are using then you probably wouldn't get a 'messed up TOC'.
Hope this helps!

 

[fumei]

Agree to a point. A templates should always be used. I was basing my comments with the assumption that the same template WAS in fact being used.

The fact remains though...a template itself can look different on a different machine using a different printer driver. Using a template does NOT guarantee the document will look exactly the same. Format attributes the same? Yes, absolutely. Layout? No.

Word layout is determined by the local printer driver, regardless of the template structure. Word will look at the template structure and fit it to how it interprets the printer driver.

In the case I mentioned above, both parties used the same document, same template, same printer...but the driver was different, and it made changes to the layout. Small ones it is true, BUT one caused a page break in one document that was not in the other.

Word layout is printer driver...uh, driven.

Most of the time, it should not make much difference. Microsoft works hard at getting printer drivers to function smoothly. If you ever get a chance to, visit the "printer farm" Microsoft has in Redmond. Literally thousands of printers, on a huge network, testing as much as possible. I knew someone here who had a small software company and ALL they did was write printer drivers for Microsoft. Full-time. TEN people working full-time on just printer drivers. Amazing.

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture