Floating Footer

In a recent Help Wanted query, Julie Coon asked if there was a way, in a two-column document, to make a special footer that "floats" five lines beneath the end of the right column on the last page of the document.

The short answer is no, there is not a way. Why? Because footers can only appear in the footer area of a document--which is, by definition, at the same place at the bottom of each page. The longer answer is that you probably don't want a footer, at least not what Word terms a footer.

The most likely solution is to utilize a text box. You can define one that is anchored to the final paragraph of your document. It will then float as the document grows or contracts. You can even instruct Word to position the text box so it appears five lines below the last paragraph of the document.

For help with creating text boxes and positioning them, refer to other issues of WordTips, or to the online help system within Word itself.