Headers & Footers in MS Word and OpenOffice Writer

A header is text that appears at the top of each page, or the pages that you select, in your document. A footer appears at the bottom of your pages. You may want to add pages numbers to the top or bottom of a document, and you can do so from the header or footer area. You do not have to add headers and footers to each page. Word enables you to type them just one time and it automatically adds them to each page.

Follow the steps below to add a header or footer to your document:

  1. Select View | Header and Footer, to display the Header and Footer toolbar and display an entry area in which you can type the header and footer text

  1. Type your header text. If you want to type footer text, click the toolbar’s Switch Between Header and Footer button to display the footer entry area and type your footer text.
  2. If you want to add page numbers, the date or the time to your header or footer text, click the appropriate buttons on the Header and Footer toolbar.
  3. Click the Close button to anchor the header or footer in your document.

Word normally dims header and footer text so that you can easily distinguish between the header and footer and the rest of your document. You can see these items when editing your document within the Print Layout view, but they remain dimmed while in Normal view. If you want to specify that the header or footer are to appear only on certain pages such as odd or even numbered pages, select File | Page Setup | Layout and check the Different Odd and Even or Different First Page check box. You must be in Print Layout view to see headers and footers in their proper places on the page.

If you want to edit a header or footer, display your document in Print Layout view and then double-click the dimmed header or footer text. Word opens the Header and Footer toolbar and enables you to edit the header or footer text.

Now let’s do the same thing in OpenOffice Writer:

You can create headers and footers for your pages. The most common use for headers and footers is to insert page numbers, but you can use them for anything your little heart desires.

To create a header or footer in OpenOffice Writer, follow the steps below:

  1. Choose Format | Page to open the Page Style dialog box.

  1. Click the Header tab or the Footer tab.
  2. Select the Header on check box or the Footer on Check box.
  3. To turn either off, deselect the check boxes.

Specify the rest of the settings for the header or footer as follows:

  • Same content left/right inserts the same header or footer content on both even and odd pages.
  • Left margin sets the left margin between the page and the header or footer.
  • Right margin sets the right margin between the page and the header or footer.
  • Spacing sets the space between the top or bottom of the page text and the header or footer.
  • Use dynamic spacing allows the header or footer to expand toward the text, overriding the spacing setting.
  • Height sets the height of the header or footer.
  • AutoFit Height adjusts the height of the header or footer according to the amount of text that the header or footer contains.
  1. Click OK to return to your document.

You can now see the header or footer in your document.

Click inside the header or footer, and enter the text and enter the text that you want to appear there.

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2 Responses to “Headers & Footers in MS Word and OpenOffice Writer”

  1. Donna Womack says:

    Oh my gosh, thank you so much for posting this! My boss replaced my computer that had microsoft office with one that has open office, and I have been so lost! You have saved my morning. Thanks again!

  2. angelica says:

    tnx a lot for giving the definiton of header and footer.. =) can you identify the parts of header and footer? i hope you could email me..

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