I NEED A HERO! (A Microsoft Word formatting hero to be precise...)

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

I'm in a terrible jam! I have a client who (neglecting all of my best advice to engage better options btw) has opted to have lil' ol' ME do their new quarterly newsletter with layout in MS Word  (Yeah, I know - Word is not a design package - tell me about it!) I'm just a copywriter - I usually handle the writing only. Though I think I have a "good eye" for layout, I typically don't perform that task - rather, I give layout instructions to a graphic design person/department, and they do the artsy magic in a design software to make it look beautiful. As a result, I'm really not at all proficient with some of the advanced formatting features of Word. I can muddle through - but this document is HEAVILY formatted - in 2 pages, I've got headers, columns, text boxes, clip art, photos, etc. - I'm waaaay out of my depth!  I've managed to turn out a decent draft except for 2 nagging problems which I'll describe below as best I can.

If you KNOW THE ANSWER - I don't want to clog up the forums with this thread - could you kindly PM me? I'm looking at YouTube videos, etc. and just not finding the answer - I'm about ready to jab forks into my eyes! I NEED TO GET THIS SUBMITTED TOMORROW. AND IT'S BEING PUBLISHED THIS MONDAY. PANIC IS GROWING...  (And yes, I've already decided that I need to take an advanced Word class... but that's not going to help me right this second...)

OK, envision this: the cover page of the newsletter has a fat horizontal text box across the top emblazoned with the newsletter name. Underneath that, and running vertically down the right-side of the cover page (like a beam supporting the joist above) is another fat text box filled with a dark blue color. On the top half of that blue text box, I have a few items in white font - like a table of contents - "inside this issue"... Beneath that (and still within the larger text box)... I placed another text box (let's call it the inner text box) with a message from the company's president since it's an inaugural issue and room for his photo as well.

My two problems are:

• I'm trying to embed the President's photo into the inner text box - but I can't seem to initiate the text wrapping command! The text wrapping icon doesn't automatically come up as it normally does, and even when I right-click and get myself into the text-wrapping menu, it doesn't allow me to select from the options (you know, like square wrap, tight wrap, etc. - when I move my mouse over them, they are non-reactive). Why is this happening? Am I doing something wrong? Or, is this a limitation within Word? Maybe it doesn't like >>> a text box-within-a-text box? Or, a photo within a text box? And thus, I can't engage the full formatting features? If it's a software limitation, I need to find a way around it!
• Also, still regarding that inner text box, I wanted to give that box a nice "fill" with a light color (so it would stand out nicely against the darker blue box behind it). But, when I did that, I noticed the fill color doesn't quite reach the borders of the inner text box, it only reaches the edge of the text...  leaving a slim white margin all around the outside of the inner text box which looks dumb. Any idea why THAT'S happening? Good god. Arrrrrgggghhhh! Ready to scream.... 

Again, please PM if you have the answer on either of these issues. Thanks! 

 

 

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

HEROS, HEROS... EVERYWHERE!! Damn, that was fast. I have 3 helpers already on the line - and 1 problem fixed. The other problem (text wrapping the photo), I've managed to do a good work-around already (visually) - so even if I don't get the final answer, I think it looks ok.

NO NEED FOR MORE PM'S!  Thanks!

[High Exposure 5,664]

I love this place!

We have SMEs for everything on this forum and everyone loves to help each other. 

Good Shit!!!

[CMJeepster 2,778]

Glock 19.

[Underdog 1,593]

By the way, what version of Office and or Word is predominant in the business setting these days.  I believe that it is NOW an annual cloud-based subscription... Is it the 365 editions?

[Krdshrk 3,877]

1 minute ago, Underdog said:

By the way, what version of Office and or Word is predominant in the business setting these days.  I believe that it is NOW an annual cloud-based subscription... Is it the 365 editions?

Yeah Microsoft 365 for the most part.  MS went to more of the subscription model, however you can still get Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 as a one-time purchase.  Home & Business Edition 2021 if you want Outlook too.

[High Exposure 5,664]

2 hours ago, CMJeepster said:

Glock 19.

This made me snort and laugh out loud!!

Well done! 

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

9 hours ago, CMJeepster said:

Glock 19.

And again... 1911!

[Scorpio64 5,155]

21 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

And again... 1911!

[Displaced Texan 11,748]

Peel,

You had already solved this by the time I showed it to Mrs Tex…

 

If you should ever have an issue like that again, call me. Mrs Tex is a Word/Excel/PowerPoint goddess. She’ll help you get sorted. 

[CMJeepster 2,778]

14 hours ago, Mrs. Peel said:

And again... 1911!

See, that's where you went wrong!

 

 

Pork roll.

[High Exposure 5,664]

[CMJeepster 2,778]

She mad...