Is it possible to have each letter and number occupy identical widths? IOW, i and W take up the same space. I am compiling columns
of numbers and it would handy if I could control this without bothering with tables, etc.
> Is it possible to have each letter and number occupy identical
> widths? IOW, i and W take up the same space. I am compiling columns
> of numbers and it would handy if I could control this without
> bothering with tables, etc.
That is purely a matter of which font you apply to the text. Most fonts are
"proportional", in which different letters have different widths. Only a
relative few are "nonproportional" or fixed-width. The most commonly
available nonproportional fonts are Courier New and Lucida Sans Typewriter.
However, in many nonproportional fonts the digits are all the same width so
that they will line up in columns, as long as you get the rightmost digits
to align. The tool to make that happen is the decimal tab. At the left end
of the horizontal ruler is a button with what looks like a bold L on it.
Click that button several times until you get an upside-down T with a dot.
Then click on the ruler at the position where the units digit should align.
Then press the Tab key and enter your number; hit Enter, hit Tab, enter the
next number; etc. See http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/SettingTabs.htm
for more info.

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Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
sdlfkj - 28 Apr 2005 18:59 GMT
>> Is it possible to have each letter and number occupy identical
>> widths? IOW, i and W take up the same space. I am compiling columns
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> etc. See http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/SettingTabs.htm for
> more info.
That's some good info. Thanks. Of course it would be nice to be able to click View, non-proportional with any font I'm
using.....but hey........that would be too easy.
Jay Freedman - 28 Apr 2005 20:07 GMT
>>> Is it possible to have each letter and number occupy identical
>>> widths? IOW, i and W take up the same space. I am compiling
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> able to click View, non-proportional with any font I'm using.....but
> hey........that would be too easy.
You can *view* a nonproportional representation of text in any font by (a)
going to Tools > Options > View and checking the box for "Draft font" and
then (b) switching to Normal view if it isn't already chosen. However, it
still won't *print* that way.

Signature
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Suzanne S. Barnhill - 28 Apr 2005 20:13 GMT
Word is about printing, not viewing. The only way to change what you see is
to change what will print.

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Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
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> >> Is it possible to have each letter and number occupy identical
> >> widths? IOW, i and W take up the same space. I am compiling columns
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> That's some good info. Thanks. Of course it would be nice to be able to click View, non-proportional with any font I'm
> using.....but hey........that would be too easy.
sdlfkj - 29 Apr 2005 19:51 GMT
>>>> Is it possible to have each letter and number occupy identical
>>>> widths? IOW, i and W take up the same space. I am compiling
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> click View, non-proportional with any font I'm
>> using.....but hey........that would be too easy.
> Word is about printing, not viewing. The only way to change what you
> see is to change what will print.
You always get to the point Suzanne. That's an excellent way of looking at it. As the printing is the end result that has to take
priority.