Mix Different Numbers of Columns in a Document
The Problem:
I need to create a newspaper-style layout with a masthead across the top of the page, blurbs on the five top stories below that, and then a three-column layout for the rest of the page. But when I change the number of columns, everything I've laid out so far goes screwy.
The Solution:
This shouldn't happen unless you're selecting all of the text before you change the number of columns.
To fix this problem:
-
Select the first part of the text to which you want to apply a different number of columns, choose Format
Columns, specify the number of columns, make sure that "Selected text" rather than "Whole document" is selected in the "Apply to" drop-down list, and click the OK button. -
Select the next part of the text that needs a different number of columns, choose Format
Columns, and specify the number of columns for that text. Word automatically inserts a continuous section break between each section that has a different number of columns.
Tip: Press Alt+
to move to the top of the previous column on the page, and Alt+ 
to move to the top of the next column.