How to Add Columns to OpenOffice Writer

When you think of columns in OpenOffice, you first thought may be to use OpenOffice Calc. However, OpenOffice Writer lets you create multiple columns. This is especially useful when trying to setup a newspaper type document or a book like page. Writer lets you customize the size and positioning of the columns so you get the exact format you need for your document.

Creating Columns

By default, OpenOffice Writer provides templates to let you create two or three column documents. You can add additional columns if you want, but no templates are available by default.

First, open an existing or new OpenOffice Writer document. Go to the Format menu and select Page. Select the Columns tab.

Select your number of desired columns under the Columns section. You can either use the list box or select one of the existing template. If you select more than three columns, do not select a template.

Customizing Columns

Under the Width and Spacing section of the column creation window, set your width and spacing for each column. If you want all columns the same size, check the AutoWidth checkbox. For custom widths, uncheck this box. For more than three columns, use the arrows next to the column numbers to set details for more columns.

Separating Columns

If you want to separate columns with more than just white space, select a line type from the Line drop down box. This is listed under the Separator Line section. You can choose where to place the line and how thick the line is. Press Okay when finished to save your settings.

Using Columns

When you type your document, columns are filled from left to right. When you fill one column, your cursor automatically jumps to the top of the next column. Think about how a newspaper is formatted. This is how your finished document will look.

Tips

For best results, use enough white space for viewers eyes to distinguish between columns. Otherwise viewers will not be able to tell where one column starts and the other ends. This makes text hard to read. If columns are close together, use a thicker line between columns. This helps to easily divide columns and text, no matter how close together they are.

Using more than four columns isn't recommended as it makes columns too thin. Two or three columns work best for most documents and provides the best design for easy reading and organizing. Create columns before adding text to prevent reorganizing text later.