Word Macro Page Setup Program.

By Fes Cannady

Created on request from Patty Duncan.

Overview

  • The macro is contained in a file named forms.dot which is keep in the Word Template Startup folder.
  • The name of the macro is “showlist”, which can be found if you click Tools, Macro.
  • To launch the “showlist” macro press alt+s.
  • The macro is named “showlist” because it shows a list of choices and you pick the one that matches the margin, font size, and page orientation for any given report.

How to install the program.

  • Install from
  • Follow the on-screen instructions on the web site to install it.
  • Be sure to close Word before installing. If Word is open when you install it there is a possibility that Word will close and all open documents will be lost.

How to use the program.

  • After the install is complete, start Word.
  • Press alt+s. Nothing seems to happen but it fact that sets up alt+s to launch the program from now on. Quit Word to register that action in normal.dot.
  • Start Word again.
  • Now press alt+s. This time the “showlist” form should display. It is described on the next page.

Explanation of the form above.

  • Click “GO” to format the active document based on the settings shown across from that “GO” button.
  • Report Name = suggested name, you can change it.
  • Top = top margin in inches. .25 = ¼ of an inch etc.
  • Bottom = bottom margin.
  • Left = left margin.
  • Right = right margin.
  • Font = font size in points.
  • Page = Orientation, L for landscape and P for Portrait.
  • Delete the instructions page = When checked, first page of report is deleted. This is handy if you do not want the instructions to print. Caution, with this checked, each time you press “GO” the first page is deleted, even if it is not the instruction page.
  • No nag printing = When checked, the document prints and closes without nagging you with “Are you ready to print?”.
  • Print = This button prints the document and closes it. If you want to print and not close the document then don’t use this print button.
  • Help = Displays the URL to install the program from.
  • Exit = Closes the program. Alt+s brings it back.

Things you should know.

  • Try the default settings as shown before you make changes. I have tested these default settings and they work well on my LaserJet. However, different printers behave differently so you might need some adjustments.
  • One problem I found was that “Date”, “Page” and “Time” as shown on the original report is 3 characters to far to the right. This causes it to wrap, taking two lines instead of one. My macro searches for every instance of each and moves each 3 characters to the left to fix that problem.
  • Any changes you make to the form are NOT saved unless you press “GO” on the line you made the changes.
  • If you want to delete a line completely, change the report name to nothing and press “GO”. Then close the program. Start it again with alt+s and the whole line will be blank.
  • Be very careful when you enter numbers. If you type “6” rather than “.6” then you just set the margin to 6 inches rather than six tenths of an inch.
  • If you like the default settings, but don’t like the report name, overtype the existing report name with a name that makes sense to you and press “GO” to save the new name.
  • To add another report, just fill in the report name of your choice, complete all the settings and press “GO” to save it.

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