Applies to
Microsoft Word 2000
Microsoft Publisher 2000

You can use either Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher to create a newsletter — or some other, similar document — with a variety of column types. First decide on the layout or type of columns you need for your newsletter, brochure, or flyer, and then determine which program will work better for you.

Determine the type of columns you need

Publisher has a number of newsletter wizards to help you set up the type of columns you want. To create a newsletter with a wizard, click New on the File menu, click the Publications by Wizard tab, click Newsletters in the Wizards pane, and then click the type of newsletter you want in the right pane.

Note  The terminology used to describe the "container" that holds text and the way you "connect" those containers is different in Word and Publisher, though the features are quite similar. In Word, the text container is a text box, and you link one text box to another. In Publisher, the text container is a text frame, and you connect one text frame to another.

Newspaper (snaking) columns

In newspaper (snaking) columns, the story flows from the bottom of one column to the top of next column on the same page.

In Word   Use the columns feature (Format menu, Columns command). You can specify the number of newspaper columns you want, adjust their width, and add vertical lines between columns. You can also add a banner heading that spans the width of the page after formatting your text in columns. To do this, select the heading text, click the Columns button (Standard toolbar), and select a single column.

In Publisher   Use multiple columns within one text frame (Format menu, Text Frame Properties command with text frame selected). All columns will be of equal width (see example "A" below). Or, if you want your story to have unequal column widths (see example "B" below), use separate text frames and connect them.

Continued… columns

With continued... columns, a story can begin on page 1 and be continued on page 4.

Use linked text boxes in Word, or connected text frames in Publisher. Place the text in a text box on page 1, create a text box on page 4, and then link the text box on page 1 to the text box on page 4. The story will flow from one text box to another automatically.

Parallel columns

With parallel columns, stories flow in parallel, or side by side from page to page. This technique is useful if you need to pair two or more similar stories or articles - for example, an article in English on the left, the same article in Spanish in the middle, and the same article in French on the right.

Create a separate text box in Word, or text frame in Publisher, for each story. If you need to continue either story on another page, you can link the text box in that column to a text box in the same column on the next page.

Compare column features

You can use the following information to help you decide which program will best fit your needs for creating a newsletter, brochure, or flyer. Keep in mind that Microsoft Word 2000 is a word processing program and is designed to be the easiest way to create common Web, e-mail and print documents around the world. Microsoft Publisher 2000, on the other hand, is a business desktop publishing program and is designed to help business users easily create professional-looking marketing materials.

Column features common to both Word and Publisher

• Rotate text in a text box (Word) or text frame (Publisher).
• Change text box color and border style.
• Add vertical lines between and around columns.
• Use a toolbar to work quickly and easily with linked text boxes (Word) or text frames (Publisher).

Column features unique to Publisher

• Select from a catalog of more than 30 newsletter wizards to help you design your newsletter.
• Apply new color schemes, designs, and layouts to a publication at any time.
• Select connected text frames quickly by clicking one of the text frames.
• Move to the next or previous connected frame quickly by using the Go To Next Frame or Go To Previous Frame buttons located in a selected frame.
• Rotate entire text frames individually.
• Add "Continued..." notices to a text frame to guide readers through a story.
• Use layout guides to line up your columns, text boxes, pictures, and other publication elements.
• Use automatic copyfitting to get text to fit in an allotted amount of space.

Column features unique to Word

• Use the template Brochure.dot to help set up snaking columns.
• Download Supplemental Templates and Wizards for Word 2000 and use the Newsletter wizard.
• Change text box "container" shape (circles, banners, flow chart shapes, and other AutoShapes instead of rectangular or square containers).
• Set up snaking columns for existing text without creating or linking text boxes.

For more information about linking text boxes and creating a newsletter in Word, type create a newsletter in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in Microsoft Word Help, and then click Search.

For information about connecting text frames and creating a newsletter in Publisher, type connect frames in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in Microsoft Publisher Help, and then click Search.