Reset width of scanned text columns with Word

[pyritechips]

Hello:

When I scan a document with, let's say an three inch column. It is saved with that width and if I want to work with it in Word I have to manually delete carriage returns to make the text lines full width.

Is there an easier way to do this?

Sorry if my question is vague; I have virtually no Word experience.

 

[XL Guru]

>> Sorry if my question is vague; I have virtually no Word experience.

No problem.

You might be able to see the Show/Hide button (¶) on your toolbar ; it toggles the display of non-printing characters on and off. Click it to display them if it's off. If you can't see it, use the kb shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+*.

The symbol ¶, as per the button, should appear at the end of each line (it's a paragraph mark. Hit CTRL+H to run the Find/Replace dialog. In "Find What", you need "^p" (without the quotes ; ^ should be on the 6 key above the qwerty line, shifted). Leave "Replace with" blank and click on Replace All.

Rgds,
Andy

 

[Anne Troy]

Hey, Jim!

Just to add to Andy's post. When I do this, I often FIRST find/replace TWO paragraph returns so that my *real* paragraph returns don't get hosed. To do that, Find ^p^p and replace with some text that won't be found elsewhere (I use "parareturn"). Then do Andy's find/replace, then find "parareturn" and replace with ^p^p again.

 

[XL Guru]

>> When I do this, I often FIRST find/replace TWO p/rs ...

Yeah, I often don't do that, then remember I should've, then CTRL+Z, then start again.

Thanks Anne.

Rgds/Happy Easter,
Andy

 

[Anne Troy]

LOL! Well...honestly, I always forget the first time around too...

Tonight...it's okay to act like a rabbit.

 

[pyritechips]

Hi dreamboat!

Hi XL Guru!

You people are great!

Sorry I took so long to respond but something came up here

I tried the "search for ^p and replace all with <blank>" trick and it worked! The only problem is that it also eats the spaces between the last word on one line and the first word on the next line so that they run together and I had to insert new spaces. But that's still better than before!

*Bows humbly to the Word Meisters!*

 

[pyritechips]

Update:

I just experimented and I found that replacing with <spacebar> adds the needed spaces between the lines.

Neat!

 

[Anne Troy]

I will schwack XLGuru next time I see him.
I will let XLGuru schwack me next time he sees me.

 

[XL Guru]

>> I will schwack XLGuru next time I see him.

ROFLMAO! With a book, presumably.

"When things look bad, teamwork's the answer" ; He-Man (of Castle Grayskull fame).

Rgds,
Andy

 

[Anne Troy]

Did he say that??