Word 2007 Tip: Shrink One Page

A user writes: I really miss the “Make it Fit” feature in WordPerfect. Is there a similar function in Word? ANSWER: Yes, there is! Although, it works slightly different from the WordPerfect version. In WordPerfect, the option is located under Format->Make It Fit. WordPerfect presents a dialog box asking for the number of pages to shrink to, and selections to choose the formatting options WordPerfect will adjust. By default, WordPerfect adjusts the font size and the line spacing. There are also options for adjusting the margins. The Word 2007 version of this is “Shrink One Page” and is located on the Print Preview ribbon. Word 2007 version isn’t quite as sophisticated as the WordPerfect version. To open the Print Preview window, go to Office Button->Print->Print Preview. The “Shrink One Page” button is located on the the Print Preview ribbon. Clicking this button will shrink the document by one page. Word will start shrinking all the fonts in the document by half a point until the document is one page less that the original number of pages. WordPerfect’s “Make It Fit” tends to be a little more accurate than Word’s “Shrink One Page” in fitting the document exactly to the desired length due to the fact that it adjusts font size and line spacing. Even still, the Word version is good in a pinch and works quite well. If you need finer control over document shrinking in Word, you will have to make manual formatting adjustments. The Word MVP FAQ Site has details on the process.