In typography, you want to avoid single words as the last line of a paragraph and single lines of text at the beginning or end of a column or page. Why? A lonely single word at the end of a paragraph creates a visual interruption in the flow that breaks the reader’s focus. This is called a “runt”. This break is caused by the unintended white space that calls more attention than necessary to the single word. Similarly, a line or word of text that jumps to the next page/column or starts a page/column should be avoided for the same reason. This would be called an “orphan” or “widow”.
As graphic designers, we adjust the space between words and/or letters to resolve these typographic problems as the final step in the design process. This is important no matter if the project is a website design, PowerPoint presentation, research report, brochure design, an invitation or any other design that includes text.
So now to the definition and naming of these little nitpicks. There seem to be different opinions on what is called an orphan and a widow. The Chicago Manual of Style and Robert Bringhurst in the Elements of Typographic Style agree:
Widow: A paragraph-ending line that falls at the beginning of the following page or column, thus separated from the rest of the text. (They have a past but no future.)
Orphan: A paragraph-opening line that appears by itself at the bottom of a page or column, thus separated from the rest of the text. (They have no past but a future.)
Runt: Single, short word at the end of a paragraph.
You can call them what you want, maybe widphans or ordows? They are a problem and need to be fixed!
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Term Which of the following describes a widow? a) last line of paragraph left alone at top of page b) first line of paragraph left alone at bottom of page c) both a and b d) none of the above | | Definition a) last line of paragraph left alone at top of page | |
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Term Which of the following describes an orphan? a) last line of paragraph left alone at top of page b) first line of paragraph left alone at bottom of page c) both a and b d) none of the above | | Definition b) first line of paragraph left alone at bottom of page | |
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Term On which of the following would you find the Keep Lines Together box? a) Paragraph group b) Page Layout dialog box c) Paragraph dialog box d) none of the above | | Definition |
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Term Word considers any line of text that is followed by a return to be a __________. a) sentence b) paragraph c) line d) all of the above
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Term From which of the following would you choose to insert a manual page break? a) Home tab, Paragraph group b) Paragraph dialog box c) Page Layout tab, Paragraph group d) Insert Tab, Pages group | | Definition d) Insert Tab, Pages group | |
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Term The location in a document where one page ends and another begins is known as a(n) __________. a) page break b) widow c) page end d) orphan | | Definition |
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Term The Breaks menu contains options for setting __________ type(s) of page break(s). a) one b) two c) three d) four | | Definition |
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Term What are vertical blocks of text known as in Word? a) lines b) rows c) paragraphs d) columns | | Definition |
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Term You may choose to create up to how many total columns in a Word document? a) six b) eight c) twelve d) sixteen | | Definition |
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Term You can insert a blank page at which point in a Word document? a) beginning b) middle c) end d) all of the above | | Definition |
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Term When choosing the paper size of a document, which of the following choices is available? a) Legal b) Letter
c) Custom d) all of the above | | Definition |
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Term A widow is the last line of a paragraph that is left alone at the top of a page. | | Definition |
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Term An orphan is the first line of a paragraph that is left alone at the bottom of a page. | | Definition |
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Term You can choose to keep lines together on the same page, but not paragraphs. | | Definition |
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Term Word considers any line of text that is followed by a return to be a line. | | Definition |
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Term The Break Page Before option forces a paragraph to the bottom of a page. | | Definition |
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Term Manual page breaks may also be deleted. | | Definition |
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Term Pages are easy to distinguish in Print Layout view. | | Definition |
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Term The Breaks menu contains options for inserting two different kinds of breaks. | | Definition |
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Term You can choose to insert any number of columns by clicking the Columns button. | | Definition |
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Term The best way to insert a blank page in Word is to click the Blank page button in the Pages group of the Insert tab. | | Definition |
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Term If a document is to be placed in a three-ring binder, you should leave extra space in the right margin. | | Definition |
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Term When choosing a page’s orientation, you are limited to two choices: Landscape and Portrait. | | Definition |
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Term Word inserts automatic page breaks in __________ documents. | | Definition |
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Term You can choose to keep two lines together at either the top of the page or the __________ of the page. | | Definition |
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Term The last line of a paragraph that is left alone at the top of a page is called a(n) __________. | | Definition |
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Term The first line of a paragraph that is left alone at the bottom of a page is called a(n) __________. | | Definition |
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Term Word’s Keep With Next command ensures that two __________ remain together on the same page. | | Definition |
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Term To insert a manual page break, click the Page Break button in the __________ group of the Insert tab. | | Definition |
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Term You may also press the __________ key to delete a manual page break. | | Definition |
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Term The __________ menu contains options for inserting three types of breaks. | | Definition |
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Term A(n) __________ break is used to create layout or formatting changes in a portion of a document. | | Definition |
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Term Word provides __________ options for creating section breaks. | | Definition |
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Term Vertical blocks of text in a Word document are known as __________. | | Definition |
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Term Word allows you to insert up to __________ columns in a document. | | Definition |
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Term Columns may be formatted with even or uneven __________ in the Columns dialog box. | | Definition |
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Term To insert a blank page, click the Blank Page command in the __________ group of the Insert tab. | | Definition |
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Term Changing the margins of a document can affect the number of __________ in a document. | | Definition |
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Term Margins are the blank spaces located at the top, bottom, and __________ of a page. | | Definition |
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Term A document may be set to Landscape or __________ orientation. | | Definition |
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Term A(n) __________ document is wider than it is long. | | Definition |
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Term To set the paper size of a document, choose the ___________ button from the Page Setup group of the Page Layout tab. | | Definition |
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Term To ensure that all the lines of a paragraph remain together on the same page, click the __________ box. | | Definition |
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Term To force a paragraph to the next page, click the __________ box. | | Definition |
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Term You can also insert a page break from the Breaks menu found in the __________ group of the Page Layout tab. | | Definition |
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Term To delete a manual page break, select the __________ and press the Delete key. | | Definition |
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Term A(n) __________ is the location in a document where one page ends and a new page begins. | | Definition |
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Term To customize columns, click the __________ button in the Columns menu. | | Definition |
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Term When you change the width of a column in Word, what happens to the spacing measurement? | | Definition It adjusts automatically.
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Term Word provides __________ options for creating section breaks. | | Definition |
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Term Vertical blocks of text in a Word document are known as __________. | | Definition |
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Term Word allows you to insert up to __________ columns in a document. | | Definition |
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Term Columns may be formatted with even or uneven __________ in the Columns dialog box. | | Definition |
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Term To insert a blank page, click the Blank Page command in the __________ group of the Insert tab. | | Definition |
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Term For professional-looking documents, list two things you should avoid as discussed in this lesson. | | Definition Avoid leaving a single line of text by itself at the top or bottom of a page. | |
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Term Briefly describe the difference between a widow and an orphan, as they pertain to Word documents. | | Definition A widow is the last line of a paragraph, left alone at the bottom of a page; an orphan is the first line of a paragraph, left alone at the top of a page. | |
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Term How would you ensure that a paragraph is not split across two pages? | | Definition : Select the paragraph, and choose the Keep Lines Together box in the Paragraph dialog box. | |
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Term What constitutes a paragraph in Word? | | Definition any line of text that is followed by a return | |
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Term What constitutes a page break in a Word document? | | Definition the location where one page ends and another page begins | |
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Term How many page break types are available in the Breaks menu? List each type. | | Definition three; Page, Column, and Text Wrapping | |
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Term How many section break options are available in Word? List each option. | | Definition four; Next Page, Continuous, Even Page, and Odd Page | |
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Term Describe ways that you can easily distinguish both automatic and manual page breaks in a Word document. | | Definition Automatic page breaks are easy to distinguish in a Word document that is placed in Print Layout view. In this view, Word displays the document page by page, one after the other, on a blue background. You can also choose to show paragraph marks by clicking the Show/Hide¶ button found in the Paragraph group of the Home tab. Once paragraph marks are shown, markers will appear to indicate manual page breaks. | |
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Term For what purpose is a section break used? Provide at least three scenarios for when it would be beneficial to add section breaks to a document. | | Definition A section break is used to create layout or formatting changes in a portion of a document. Student answers will vary, but may include any of the following scenarios: beginning/ending columns, footnotes and endnotes, headers and footers, line numbering, margins, page borders, page numbering, change in paper size or orientation, paper source for a printer, or vertical alignment of text on a page. | |
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Term Where are a page’s margins located? | | Definition all around a document (top, bottom, and both sides) | |
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Term Briefly describe Portrait and Landscape orientation. | | Definition Portrait orientation refers to when a page is taller than it is wide. Landscape orientation refers to when a page is wider than it is tall. | |
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Term Briefly explain how a document’s page layout can contribute to the overall success (or failure) of the document. Be sure to discuss margins, page orientation, and paper size. | | Definition Student answers will vary. When choosing the margins for a document, you must consider how the document may be bound. If the document will be placed in a three-ring binder, for example, you would need to leave extra space on the left margin for the holes. The orientation of a page should depend on the information that will be displayed on that page. For example, if you are creating a table that is wider than it is tall, you would want to select Landscape as the page’s orientation. The paper size that is set for a document should match the amount and type of content included in the document. If you are creating a legal document, you would need to ensure that the paper size is set to Legal so that all of the information will appear on the correct page(s). | |
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