About sections and section breaks

Microsoft Office Word 2003

The following examples show the types of section breaks you can insert. (In each illustration, the double dotted line represents a section break.)

Next page inserts a section break and starts the new section on the next page.

Next Page section break

Continuous inserts a section break and starts the new section on the same page.

Continuous section break

Odd page or Even page inserts a section break and starts the new section on the next odd-numbered or even-numbered page.

Odd Page section break

ShowTypes of formats you can set for sections

You can change the following section formats:

  • Margins

  • Paper size or orientation

  • Paper source for a printer

  • Page borders

  • Vertical alignment

  • Headers and footers

  • Columns

  • Page numbering

  • Line numbering

  • Footnotes and endnotes

Keep in mind that a section break controls the section formatting of the text that precedes it. For example, if you delete a section break, the preceding text becomes part of the following section and assumes its section formatting. Note that the last paragraph mark in the document controls the section formatting of the last section in the document— or of the entire document if it doesn’t contain sections.