Home | Tips | Library | Other Authors | Other WP Sites | Writer's Links | Contact | Site Map | Donate

Barry MacDonnell's
Toolbox for WordPerfect

Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2013 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

Page updated May 9, 2013
WordPerfect Tips
Main tips page | Browse tips

Headers, Footers, and Watermarks - how to start, stop, suppress, edit, change, replace, delay, overlay, and remove them

 

Some resources:

Page numbering topics

Page Numbering in WordPerfect: The Basics, by Jan Berinstein, WordPerfect Universe

Numbering Pages, Chapters, and Volumes in WordPerfect, by Laura Acklen, in the Corel Newsletter (April 2005)

Create page numbering for Chapters such as found in many books

Page numbering using both Roman and Arabic numerals - how to use Roman numeral page numbers for initial material ("front matter") or elsewhere in a document, and Arabic numbers for the rest of the document

Page numbering using "Page X of Y" numbers in headers and footers (see next column)

Page numbering outside the page margins - simulating page numbering outside the document's normal top and bottom page margins

Page identification topics

SupDelay macro - Automatically set up "second pages" with "page identifiers" using Suppress and Delay codes

Page identification tips - Create even and odd page identification in headers or footers - Create a third type of "header" or "footer" for additional identifying information

Stamps - Creating "DRAFT," "COPY," and other identification stamps on the pages of a document

LetterHd - An automated letterhead template with second page identifiers

How to create "Continued on Page x" footers where "x" is the number of the following page

Using two footers simultaneously (one for page number, the other for separator line and filename, etc.) so that items do not overlap

Outside the margins - Creating text outside a document's page margins, along the edge of the page(s)

Other related pages

Mixing landscape and portrait pages: How to maintain headers, footers, and page numbering at the top and bottom of all pages when you mix landscape orientation with portrait

Pleadings - Modify the legal Pleading feature (in Watermark B)

Can you use multi-page watermarks? See the note here.

 

 


 

 

 

First things first . . .

If you already know these things, skip down to the main topics (there are links to them in the left sidebar).

Headers or Headings? 

Headers are blocks of text used inside page margins at the top of the page, between the top page margin and the edge of the page. Footers are similarly used inside page margins, but at the bottom of the page. Once created they automatically continue displaying their text until they are replaced or discontinued. These formatting issues are discussed below.

Headings -- a different topic -- are words or short phrases in the document's body text area that divide a larger body of work, such as a chapter or a large section of a topic. Unlike headers or footers, they display only at their current location. Most often, headings are formatted distinctively so they stand out from surrounding text. They can appear anywhere on the page. [N.B.: WordPerfect ships with several Heading styles (easily available on the text property bar) to apply some of the formatting for you.]

Some general things beginners should know

Blue bullet  Headers, footers, and watermarks are available from the Insert menu on the top menu bar in WordPerfect -- assuming you are using a WordPerfect menu and not a Microsoft Word menu (see here if you use one of the MS Word menus).

Blue bullet  They will be visible onscreen in Page mode (turn it on with View, Page) or if you are directly editing them. They usually contain text but can contain graphic images and format codes (current date, filename, line justification, columns, tables, etc.). Headers and footers can also contain page numbering (see left sidebar).

Blue bullet  Like page numbering, they are considered "repeating elements" or "repeating substructures".

This is so because they are designed to automatically display on more than one page even though you (typically) need only create them once in a document, unless you need to change their contents for various sections of the document, such as with book chapters. The key word to remember here is display: They are not actually part of each page like body text. They are merely displayed (and will print) on each page following the page where they were created, unless they are replaced or discontinued further down in the document. (More on this below.)

Blue bullet  WordPerfect provides two identical "flavors" (or options) for each of these three elements: A and B. Thus you have six easy ways to add extra information -- often called "page identification" -- to individual or multiple pages in your documents. 

Note: One flavor of a given element (e.g., Watermark A) is initially and functionally the same as the other flavor (e.g., Watermark B). Which you use is a matter of preference, although some features such as the Pleading feature default to a particular flavor. Note also that both A and B will display in the same area on the page

Tip: You can use either flavor of a given element more than once (i.e., sequentially) in the same document, since the most recently created one will automatically stop (i.e., discontinue and supersede) the earlier one of the same flavor at that point, and then display its newer contents going forward in the document. The prior existing version will still display its contents up to that point. (This is a common task with books and other multi-section documents.) See the various topics below, which will help give you control over these items.

Tip: You can use both flavors of a given element simultaneously on the same pages, much like old-fashioned overhead projectors let you lay transparent film sheets ("transparencies") on top of each other to combine their projected information on a screen. [See the left sidebar for some tips (e.g., using two footers) using this layering apporach.]

Blue bullet  Some additional features of these repeating elements are available on the context-sensitive Property bar that should appear when your cursor is inside the element.

Some notes and tips on Property bars

    • Can't see them? Property bars for these elements (and many other items such as currently selected text, tables, and columns) are visible only when your cursor is inside one of them and View, Toolbars, Property Bar is enabled. See this page for more on what they are and how they differ from regular toolbars.
    • What's on them? The number and type of functions varies with the type of Property bar, which is "context-sensitive" and provides you with the most typically useful functions in the form of buttons or drop lists. Once a header, footer or watermark is visible on the screen (see the next topics, "How to start them" or "How to change them...") and your cursor is inside that "substructure," it is worth exploring its Property bar to become familiar with some of the features related to that element -- such as buttons to insert a page number inside a footer or set headers to display on even and odd pages.
    • Property bars can also be customized. 
    • Property bars and page numbering in headers or footers: 
      • If you use the Header/Footer Property bar button (or other method such as Format, Page, Insert Page Number) to put page numbers inside a header or footer, you probably will want to turn normal page numbering off (if it was turned on) with Format, Page, Numbering, Position: <No page numbering>. Otherwise you will get two numbers on each page, one in the header or footer and one on the page itself. (For more on page numbering see the links in the sidebar column on the left.)
      • For "Page x of y" numbering inside a header or footer: While the cursor is in the header or footer, use the Page Numbering button on the Header/Footer Property bar to choose Page Number; then type " of " in the header or footer; then use the button again and choose Total Pages. Each button choice inserts a code (visible in Reveal Codes [View, Reveal Codes]) which does the work of displaying the numbers. The "total pages" number is automatically updated when you add or delete pages in the document. The "page" number can be reset from the main WordPerfect menu with Format, Page, Number, Set Value. [See also the previous paragraph about preventing duplicate page numbering.]
      • To reset page numbering inside a header or footer: Assuming you have already inserted a page numbering code in a header or footer with the Page Numbering button on the Header/Footer Property bar (see above paragraphs): Exit from the header/footer and go to the very top of the specific document page (before all other codes) where you wish to reset the page numbering sequence. Use Format, Page, Numbering, Set Value to insert a [Pg Num Set] code. This new value will be picked up by the [Pg Num Disp] code in the "downstream" header/footer. [Click here for a similar method using Roman numeral page numbers for initial material ("front matter") or elsewhere in a document, and Arabic numbers for the rest of the document.]
Blue bullet This web page (both below and on the left sidebar) was designed to be a comprehensive reference to help you solve formatting probelms or other issues you might have with the header, footer, or watermark features.

Using them, however, is fairly simple and straightforward, especially if you understand their underlying logic.

Like many other powerful programs, things that are unfamiliar in WordPerfect might seem overly complicated or time-consuming at first. Rest assured you probably will not use much of the information here in your everyday work -- the first section below might be all you need -- but you might want to take a few minutes to scan the entire page so you'll know what is here should you ever need more help.
[Page Top]

How to start them, exit from them, and view them on screen

Blue bullet  To start them -- i.e., create a brand new new header, footer, or watermark:

  • Place your cursor at the top of the page (in the body text area of the document) on which you want to start the header, footer, or watermark, above all text or other items. For most documents this is usually on page 1.
  • Click on the Insert menu choice on the top menu bar.
  • Select the element you need -- Header/Footer or Watermark -- then select the type (A or B).
    • As noted, one type of a given element (e.g., Watermark A) is initially and functionally the same as the other type (e.g., Watermark B). Which you use is a matter of preference, although some features such as the Pleading feature default to a particular type (pleadings use Watermark B). 
    • Note also that both the A and B types of a given element will display in the same physical area on the page (see Tips below). You can use both types (A and B) of a given element simultaneously, much like old-fashioned overhead projectors let you lay transparencies on top of each other to combine their information on a screen. Generally you will want to position their individual contents so they do not visually overlap. [See the left sidebar for some tips (e.g., using two footers) using this layering apporach.]
  • Click on Create.
  • Enter (i.e., type or paste) the text, graphics, table, etc., to create the header, footer, or watermark.
Notes
  • Once created, you can edit, stop, replace, delay, combine, or remove these items as explained in the following sections. Editing -- probably the most common task -- takes only a  mouse click to "get into" the structure to change its information. 
  • However, changing the information in these elements at different document locations, or telling the program where to start or end displaying the information, requires slightly different methods depending on your formatting requirements. [To change the formatting of the elements -- e.g., their own fonts or page margins -- see Footnote 3.]
  • See the left column (sidebar) on this page for information about page numbering and page identification, which often use headers, footers, and/or watermarks.

Blue bullet  To exit from them and return to the main document:

For headers and footers:

- Click anywhere in the main document area
or

- click the Close button on the Header/Footer property bar.

For watermarks:

- Click the Close button on the Watermark property bar
or

- click File, Close to close the watermark window.

Blue bullet  To see them on screen after you exit from them you should not be in Draft view [on the View menu]. Use Page or Two Pages view. Draft view hides them to minimize what some users think of as "screen clutter" so they can concentrate on just the body text.

Tips

  • In the Reveal Codes pane (enable it with View, Reveal Codes), and with your cursor in the main document area (the "body text" area), these structures will appear as a single code (e.g., [Header A]). These codes can be deleted in Reveal Codes by simply dragging them from Reveal Codes or using the <Delete> or <Backspace> keys. They can also be moved downward by typing or inserting material above them. If they are moved down this way, they might start on a different page from the one you wanted. Hence, it is a good idea to start these structures at the very top of the page, above all other items.
  • See Laura Acklen's tutorial on creating headers and footers for representative examples, such as adding page numbers in a header or footer, adding the current document's filename, even/odd page placement, etc. She also posted a tutorial on page numbering.
  • As an alternative to the above "Insert menu" method, you can delay starting the header, footer, or watermark to another page. This is usually done at the top of the first page of the document with a Delay code: see the Delay section below. It will cause the header, footer, or watermark to appear on the specified page and pages following that page, but not appear on page 1. Note that there are certain advantages to this alternative method, as explained in the Delay section.

[Page Top]

How to stop them - 3 methods

Blue bullet  Method A. You can suppress any of these elements (and page numbering, too) on a given page.

Place your cursor at the top of the page (in the body text of the document) where you want to suppress the desired element(s). Then click Format, Page, Suppress.

These repeating elements will still show up on other pages (if any); they are merely stopped (suppressed) from displaying on the page with a [Suppress] code. This can be handy if you only need a page or two without headers, footers, or watermarks.

For example, if Header A is suppressed on page 3, you would have the page sequence, AAXAAA...., where "X" is a page without the header. 

Schematically (showing the first several pages) -
Header A Header A   Header A Header A Header A
         

[N.B.: In some versions of WordPerfect, editing pre-existing choices in the Suppress dialog to change your choices can cause the Suppress code to be removed from the document (it's a bug), so it is a good idea to examine the document to see if this happens. If it does, simply reapply your choices at that page location with Format, Page, Suppress.]

See also the example below, which uses [Suppress] and [Delay] codes.

Blue bullet  Method B. You can discontinue a header, footer or watermark on a specific page.

This is done from the Insert menu (e.g., Insert, Header/Footer, Header A, Discontinue).

"Discontinuing" an item means that the item will show up on all pages prior to the one where the setting was enabled. It is normally done at the bottom of the last page where you want the header, footer, or watermark to show up.

Discontinuing these structures might be useful when you do not want any more of them to show up in the rest of your document (e.g., in an Appendix or Index) or for a given section of your document (i.e., spanning more than one page).

Note that you can create a new header, footer, or watermark of the same "flavor" (A or B) from the Insert menu (e.g., Insert, Header/Footer, Header A, Create) and it will automatically discontinue the existing item, and replace it with the new version from that point forward until it is discontinued or replaced with yet another new version (if any). You do not have to discontinue a header, footer, or watermark to start a new, different one. See the next section, "How to change or replace them".

If, for example, Header A is discontinued on page 3, you would have the page sequence, AAXXXX.... 

Schematically (showing the first several pages) -
Header A Header A        
   

Blue bullet  Method C. (Similar to Method B above.) You can delay discontinuing the header, footer, or watermark to another page.

This is usually done at the top of the first page, in the body text area of the document. It will cause the header, footer, or watermark to appear on page 1, but stop appearing on page 2 (or some other specified page). See the Delay section below.

[Page Top]

How to edit, change or replace them (i.e., edit their contents)

There are three related concepts here (described in A, B, and C below), depending on what you wish to accomplish.

Blue bullet  A. Change the content of particular headers, footers, or watermarks.

To change the content of the currently displayed header/footer/watermark (either A or B), you can edit the current version of the item in one of three ways.

Place your cursor on the page that displays the item you want to change, then -

either -
click on Insert, Header/Footer, <Select an item>, then click the Edit button;

or (even easier) -
click inside the header/footer/watermark itself (which should be visible, assuming you are not in Draft view) and edit it directly;

or (alternatively) -
in Reveal Codes, double-click on the code ([Header], [Footer], or [Watermark]).

Then add new content or change the existing content. Then exit from the item back to your document.

Be sure to read the Important Notes below about what this does to the display (and printout) of the content on other pages for that particular item.

Tips

  • To change fonts or margins for these items, see Footnote 3.
  • Be sure to explore the buttons on the context-sensitive property bars that appear when your cursor is inside one of these structures. The buttons allow adjusting the header/footer's distance to body text, its even/odd page placement, a watermark's shading, etc. One of them lets you quickly insert a horizontal line. Pass your cursor over these buttons to see their functions appear in a balloon tip.

To exit from these substructures and return to the main document:

For headers and footers:

either -
click anywhere in the main document area
or -

click the Close button on the Header/Footer property bar.

For watermarks:

either -
click the Close button on the Watermark property bar
or -

click File, Close to close the watermark window.

To see them on screen after you exit from them you should not be in Draft view [on the View menu]. Use Page view or Two Pages view. Draft view hides them to minimize what some users think of as "screen clutter" so they can concentrate on just the body text.

Important Notes

All such editing changes will affect the display (and the printout) of the particular header/footer/watermark version that you are editing.

That is, the changes will show up on any previous pages where the current item is displayed, as well as on any following pages. Hence, you need only edit the current item on any page where it displays in order to change the same item on all pages where it displays.

But what if you want to change the content of an item at various locations in the document? To actually replace (i.e., supersede) the content of one header/footer/watermark with a new one further down in the document (e.g., a header containing a new chapter title), see the "To replace...content..." section below.

Schematically (showing the first several pages) - 

If you Edit Header A on page 4 to make a change to the Header...
Header A Header A Header A Edit
(change)
Header A
Header A Header A
           

...it will produce this change in the document:
Changed
Header A
Changed
Header A
Changed
Header A
Changed
Header A
Changed
Header A
Changed
Header A
           

Blue bullet  B. Change the font or margins of headers, footers, or watermarks.

See Footnote 3.

Blue bullet  C. Replace (supersede or supplant) the content of headers, footers, or watermarks.

To replace the content of a header, footer, or watermark somewhere in the document after the page where you first created that item and leave the previous version of that item unchanged, you must create a new header, footer, or watermark (of the same type, A or B) at the new location where you want the change to take effect.

The new item will then supersede -- but not delete -- the prior item. [Since these items display continuously in a document, some users may conceptualize this process as "unlinking" new header/footer/watermark material from the existing (i.e., previous) material.]

This is often done to change chapter or section titles in a manuscript's header. Just create a new header of the same type (A or B) on the new page with Insert, Header/Footer, Header (A or B), Create, and it will supplant the old one.

For example:

To change the text or other content in Header A starting on page 4, and continuing on the following pages (but not on the previous pages), you would --

  • place your cursor on page 4 -- usually at the top of the page;
  • click Insert, Header/Footer, Header A, Create (not Edit);
  • type (or paste) the new content inside the new, empty header (caution: don't delete or edit the [Open Style] code inside the header area, unless you need to do so for a specific reason; see Footnote 2); then
  • exit from the header by clicking anywhere in the main document area, or by clicking the Close button on the property bar.

You should now see the new Header A's content take effect on that page, and the old Header A's content should stop on the previous page, as shown schematically in the diagram below. (You will also see a new [Header A] code in the Reveal Codes pane on page 4. This tells WordPerfect where to start the new version of Header A.)

As previously noted, if you simply edit the current header (e.g., with Insert, Header/Footer, Footer A, Edit) you will change the current item wherever it is displayed in the document. That is, the change will show up in the same item on all previous pages as well as all following pages. To change Header A (using our example) to something else, you must cause a new Header A to "take over" from the older Header A. (The same thing applies to footers and watermarks.)

Some users try and replace an existing header/footer/watermark at some point after page 1 by editing the existing item, rather than by creating a brand new one on the later page. This is a common mistake, and probably stems from the idea that headers, footers, or watermarks seem to "flow" only in one direction -- forward to the end of the document -- much like applying a new font type at a specific location. In fact, editing one of these elements simply changes the display of that item on all pages where it is set to display -- both on previous pages (if any) and on following pages (if any). These elements are displayed in both directions from the page where you are viewing them.

Hence, to replace the content of one of these items from a particular page forward, think in terms of superseding or supplanting it, not in terms of editing it.

You can also think of these items as single "structures" or small "containers" that -- once created on a given page -- have the ability to show up on all pages from the point of creation onward. You can change the same structure (e.g., Header A) later in the document by editing any single display of it, not just on the page where it was created. All "instances" of that structure will change immediately -- forward until discontinued, or another item of the same type (A or B) is encountered, and backward to the creation page. (You are really only dipping down into a single structure when you edit a repeating element on any page where it displays. WordPerfect takes care of displaying it wherever -- and however often -- it is required.)

In summary:

To replace the same structure so that the new content appears at a specific point in mid-document, thereby leaving the display of the older version of that item on previous pages alone, you can do one of two things:

    • Either discontinue the old structure (if you don't want any more of them to display on subsequent pages, as demonstrated in the previous section, "How to stop them"); or
    • create a new, revised one (of the same type, A or B) on a new page, as in the next diagram, if you want them to display on subsequent pages. Most often you will choose this option.

The following diagram illustrates a replacement header on page 4.

Schematically (showing the first several pages) -

If you Create a new Header A on page 4...
Header A Header A Header A Create a new
Header A
Header A Header A
           

...it will produce this change in the document:
Old
Header A
Old
Header A
Old
Header A
New
Header A
New
Header A
New
Header A
           

[Page Top]

How to delay them to another page

To add to this mix of options, you can delay the onset of any of these elements by one or more pages, and/or delay when they should stop. 


That is, you can -

  • delay the starting of a new item (e.g., delay the start of a new footer until the second page);
  • delay the stopping or "discontinuance" of an item (e.g., shut off, on page 2, a header, footer and/or watermark that was created on page 1); or
  • delay the suppression of an item until a specific number of pages have passed.

The principal advantage of this feature, and its most common use, is to allow you to set up special formatting for a subsequent page -- but these actions will only have an effect if there are subsequent pages. Otherwise, they exist only as format codes inside a "container" code: the [Delay] code you will see if you use this feature.

To use this feature in a document, click Format, Page, Delay Codes, X (where 'X' is the number of pages to delay the action -- usually this is set to "1"). Typically, you perform these steps on page 1 so that you can delay some action until page 2, if there is a page 2.

This opens the Define Delay Codes window, and any actions you specify there -- such as starting a new header, discontinuing an existing footer, or setting new page margins (but see the NOTE below) -- will be carried out on the specified (subsequent) page.

To exit from the Define Delay Codes window, you can use the Close button on the Delay Codes toolbar or property bar (depending on which is displayed). Alternatively, use File, Close to close that window.

If, for example, Header B is delayed until page 2, you would have the sequence XBBBBB.... 

Schematically (showing the first several pages) -
  Header B Header B Header B Header B Header B
         

And if, for example, Footer A is discontinued on page 2 and Footer B is started on page 2 . . .
           
Footer A Footer B Footer B Footer B Footer B Footer B

In the first case you could, of course, simply suppress the element on page 1. But because delay codes are created in their own special Define Delayed Codes window, you can delay several items with the same [Delay] code, which might be a better way of keeping them together.

Cautions

  • A downside to using a [Delay] code: You can't use Edit, Find and Replace (or a macro routine) to search inside a [Delay] code. However, you can use F&R to remove these elements; see "How to remove them".

Tips

  • See also the example below, which uses [Suppress] and [Delay] codes.
  • Editing the contents of a [Delay] code:
    • You can open an existing [Delay] code the same way you can open (to edit) many WordPerfect codes. Just double click on the code in Reveal Codes.
      • Note: You cannot use Find & Replace (or the macro equivalent, SearchString) to search inside [Delay] codes, [Style] codes, or text variables (a form of Style). These are limitations of the program, at least for recent versions of it. You will have to edit the [Delay] or [Style] code by double-clicking on the code in Reveal Codes to edit it.
    • Note that Delay codes are actually a pair of codes. The first (typically located on page 1) is the clickable one, and the second, non-clickable one is the "activation point" or "marker" where the code will take effect. Like all paired WordPerfect format codes, if you delete one, the other is also deleted.
  • To exit from the Define Delay Codes window, you can use the Close button on the Delay Codes toolbar or property bar (depending on which is displayed). Alternatively, use File, Close to close that window.
  • Advanced tip: You can hide the [Delay] code inside the document's initial [Open Style] code to prevent accidental deletion or movement of the [Delay] code. See Footnote 1.

Note

  • You can delay other things, such as setting new page margins or returning (resetting) them to the 1-inch default on page 2 of a document. But see this tip first: A small bug was introduced in WP10 (and still present in later versions) that requires an extra step in the Delay Codes procedure.

[Page Top]

How to overlay them

It is worth remembering that, like transparent pieces of film, you can overlay either type (A or B) of a repeating element with the other type by using them on the same page(s).

Since A and B of the same element will occupy the same space on the page, be sure to separate text or graphics inside them so the material in one doesn't conflict with (i.e., overlap or block) the material in the other on the same page. 

Usually, setting different line justification or adding a few hard returns will separate the materials. For more precision, use Format, Typesetting, Advance.

[Page Top]

How to remove them

Headers, footers, and watermarks are created with WordPerfect format codes, so you can delete them from the document by simply deleting the codes. (You should back up your document first.)

Here are some general methods:

  • Open the Reveal Codes window to locate the code. Then either (1) drag the [Header], [Footer], or [Watermark] code from the Reveal Codes window to delete it; or (2) use the [Delete] or [Backspace] keys to delete the code.
  • If you need to quickly delete all codes of a given type in the document, place your cursor at the very top of the document (before all codes and text), then click Edit, Find and Replace.
    • In the Find and Replace dialog that appears, delete anything that might be in the "Find:" field, then click Match, Codes from the dialog's menu.
    • In the Codes dialog that appears, scroll down to code you want to remove: Header A, Header B, Footer A, Footer B, Watermark A, or Watermark B. Click on the listed item in the Codes dialog, then click Insert & Close. You should now see the code in the "Find:" field.
      • Tip: You can also copy the code from your document and paste it into the Find and Replace field.
    • In the Find and Replace dialog's "Replace with:" field, choose <Nothing> (or simply delete the contents of this field with Delete or Backspace), then click Find Next (to find the first code), then click Replace.
    • Repeat deleting each remaining code with Find Next ... Replace, or simply click Replace All.
    • Note: You cannot use Find and Replace to find codes inside a [Delay] code, as mentioned above. This is a limitation of the program, at least for recent versions of it. You will have to edit the [Delay] code by double-clicking on the [Delay] code in Reveal Codes and then removing the header, footer, or watermark code contained in it.

[Page Top]

Example: Modifying the current document or a custom template

For the current document: 

Note that you can use this method in the current document (.WPD), but the SupDelay ("Suppress and Delay") macro probably is more convenient if you have to do it often. For future documents, you probably will want to modify the template (.WPT) on which those documents are based. See the procedures below.

For new custom templates: 

Create the template with File, New (or New from Project), Options button, Create WP Template. A new document will open, named Template1. You can create everything here, or import a previously created (one page) document with Insert, File.

For existing custom templates: 

Edit the template with File, New (or New from Project), select the template by name, then click the Options button and choose Edit WP Template.

Example (taken from the SupDelay macro page):

Let's say you want to use Header A, Footer A, and/or Watermark A for your first page letterhead design (or to supplement the design of preprinted stationery), or for the title page of a company report.

Assume you want to use Header B, Footer B, and/or Watermark B for other things (such as a name, date, document title or page number) on the second and subsequent pages -- if there are any such pages in a given document.

Also assume you have set new margins on Page 1, and want to return the margins to some preferred default setting on subsequent pages, if there are any. (Sometimes body text "runs over.") You don't have to create any header, footer, or watermark, but if you do you can set them up like this:

Page 1: Page 2 and subsequent pages (if any):
Header A available (Header A discontinued)
(Header B suppressed) Header B available
Footer A available (Footer A discontinued)
(Footer B suppressed) Footer B available
Watermark A available (Watermark A discontinued)
Watermark B available Watermark B available
No page numbers on Page 1 Page numbering continues (if page numbering was turned on)
Page margins can be customized Page margins reset to 1" (the WordPerfect default setting -- but this can be easily changed; also be sure to read the Note in the delay section above on this page)

Here's how.

    • Go to the top of your template (i.e., page 1) and set up both varieties (A and B) of the headers and footers, set up one or both watermarks, and set new Page 1 margins if desired.

Then either play the SupDelay macro or manually suppress and delay pages:

    • Assuming you have used Header A and Footer A on the first page of the template, you can set up Header B (and Footer B) for the second and subsequent pages. Do both of these things while editing page 1 of the template. That is, create all headers and footers on the first page.
    • Next, you need to discontinue (i.e., stop) Header A and Footer A on the second and subsequent pages (you don't need them anymore), and supress Header B and Footer B on page 1 (you don't want them to appear until page 2).
      • The first task (discontinue Header A and Footer A) is done with Format, Page, Delay Codes, 1, OK. Then click Header/Footer, Header A, Discontinue. Do the same for Footer A. You can also discontinue Watermark A, if it is used, and reset margins for the second and subsequent pages. Then click the Close button to return to the main template window.
      • For the second task (suppress Header B, etc.), go to the top of the document and click Format, Page, Suppress. On the dialog that pops up, choose Header B, Footer B, and (probably) Page Numbering. Click OK.
    • Save the template with File, Save. If it's a new template, save it in the group category of your choice.
    • Tips
      • On page 2 of the template you can create a new Header A, Footer A, and Watermark A instead of discontinuing (stopping) them. The newly created elements will simply take over on page 2, automatically discontinuing the same elements that are on page 1.
      • You can set a default header or footer separation distance (i.e., the distance between body text and the header/footer) by temporarily creating an empty header or footer in the template, clicking the Header/Footer Distance button on the Property bar and setting the new distance, then clicking outside the header or footer to dismiss it (unless you truly want to create an actual header or footer for all new documents!). You should see a [Header Sep] or [Footer Sep] code in the template's body text area, which will be replicated in all new documents.
      • Several of the above techniques were used in the LETTERHD template in the Library.

[Page Top]


Footnote 1

Hide the Code [...continued from "How to delay them to another page," above]

Here's a tip to let you "hide" a [Delay] code so it is less likely to be moved or deleted accidentally:

Step 1. Open Reveal Codes, and in the main document area select just the new [Delay] code (this is most easily done with <Shift+arrow>), and cut it to the clipboard with <Ctrl+X>. (Essentially, you'll want to move the code into the initial style code in Step 2 below.)

Note: Delay codes are actually made up of two codes: the first [Delay] code (usually located at the top of the document) tells WordPerfect what to do; the second [Delay Codes] code appears on the (delayed) page and tells WordPerfect to start doing it. You can double-click the first code of the pair to open the Define Delay Codes window; if Reveal Codes is open you can see what is inside the [Delay] code, which acts as a sort of container for other codes (and, sometimes, text or other things, such as styles) The second code of the pair ([Delay Codes]) is not clickable. Finally, like all paired WordPerfect format codes, if you delete one the other is also deleted.

Step 2. Double-click the initial [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code at the very top of the document; this opens the Style Editor for the document.

Step 3. Paste the [Delay Code] into the Styles Editor's Contents field, then click OK.

Tips and notes

    • Just remember to look inside the initial style code if you need to revise or delete the [Delay] code!
      • Note: You cannot use Find & Replace (or the macro equivalent, SearchString) to search inside [Delay] codes, [Style] codes, or text variables (a form of Style). These are limitations of the program, at least for recent versions of it. You will have to edit the [Delay] or [Style] code by double-clicking on the code in Reveal Codes to edit it.
    • You can use more than one Delay code in the document's initial style.
    • Caution: Do not try to create a [Delay] code for a Header, Footer, or Watermark directly inside the document's (or template's) initial style's Styles Editor by using the menu in the Styles Editor dialog, or the program may "hang" on you under some conditions. Instead, either cut the [Delay] code from the document and paste into the Style Editor as explained above, or copy an existing [Delay] code from another document and paste it into the Styles Editor.
    • Macro writers: You can easily incorporate formatting codes inside a document's (or template's) initial style with a macro. See here for an example.


Footnote 2

Inside the Header or Footer area [...continued from the example in "How to change or replace them", above]

The [Open Style: HeaderA] code inside the Header area (a similar code exists for Footers and Watermarks) is designed to apply system default format settings for the header (or footer or watermark) areas-- which, in this particular instance, comes from the system style, HeaderA.

Normally, you will not want to delete this code, since it might be applying formatting from the system style.

Also, unless you need to apply special formatting -- or even some text -- inside this code, you normally will have little need to edit it (by double-clicking on the code). The reason: Any changes inside this code will show up in all versions of Header A in the document -- backward and forward in the document -- not just in the new version going forward from that page in the document. (But see Footnote 3, for an explanation of when this might be useful. Also see Footnote 4 for how to modify it so it becomes the default for future documents.)


Footnote 3

Modifying the format of Headers, Footers, and Watermarks

By default, these substructures inherit their formatting from the document's initial (or default) style settings. That is, whatever font and margins were set in the current document's initial [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code -- which in turn, usually comes from the template the document is based on -- will become the font and margins for the header, footer, or watermark.

However -

    • To change the font used in the current header, footer, or watermark, locate the cursor inside it and simply set a new font and/or font size from the property bar or from the Format, Font menu. You can also select some text first to apply a font to just the selection. You can also add new justification (even left-center-right mixed justification to a single line), or add bold, italics, color, or other text attributes. [If you want to set the font, font size, or other formatting to be the default for your headers or footers (or even just one of them), see Footnote 4.]
    • To change the left and/or right margins in these substructures when the cursor is inside them, you can simply drag the left or right margin guidelines (be sure to enable the checkbox, "Drag to move guidelines" in View, Guidelines). Alternatively, when the cursor is inside them, click Format, Margins and specify the left and right margins.
    • Note: If you have replaced the same header, footer, or watermark of the same type (A or B) one or more times in the document, then (by design) each replacement supersedes the previous substructure of that type. So, any font or margin change you make in one of them will not carry over to the others. Therefore, if you want to apply, say, a new font to all versions of several Header A substructures wherever they appear in the document, it is much easier to edit the HeaderA style using Format, Styles on the main WordPerfect menu. Your edits will be global: they will modify all HeaderA's in the current document, in one operation.
    • To change the top and/or bottom margins in these substructures, however, you must work from the main document screen (not from inside the substructure) and either drag their horizontal page margin guidelines or specify a new top/bottom margin setting in the Format, Margins menu. For watermarks, this is the only way to set up new top and bottom margins.
    • The context-sensitive property bar contains features (buttons) that allow adjusting the the header/footer's distance to body text, its even/odd page placement, the watermark's shading etc. One of them lets you quickly insert a horizontal line. Pass your cursor over these buttons to see their functions appear in a balloon tip.
    • You can set a default header or footer separation distance (i.e., the distance between body text and the header/footer) for new documents by modifying the default template; see the Tips section at the end of the example above.


Footnote 4

Setting formatting defaults for Headers, Footers, and Watermarks

If you want to set the font, font size, or other formatting to be the default for your headers, footers, or watermarks (or even just one of them) in future documents, you can do it by setting them in the template which spawns your documents. Otherwise, headers and footers use the default font and font size set for the body text area, so changing them in the current document only leaves them active for that particular document.

The template that spawns your new, blank documents is normally the default template, but could be -- and here, probably should be -- a custom template. With a custom template, you can use it for special purposes (e.g., a letterhead), leaving the default template to spawn your ordinary blank documents. [For more on these important files, see the page on templates.]

For example:

Suppose you have created a custom template where you wish to have a footer (e.g., Footer B) be in Arial Narrow 10-point font. You would edit the template itself and set the defaults there.

Here's one way to do it (another way is to directly modify the footer style itself, but the following method makes it slightly easier to find and edit that style):

    • Once the template is open for editing (the filename at the top of the WP window should end in .WPT, not .WPD), you can create a temporary Footer B (Insert, Header/Footer, FooterB, Create) if it doesn't already exist.
    • With the cursor inside Footer B, double-click the [Open Style: FooterB] code in Reveal Codes. This opens the Styles Editor for the Footer B style in the template.
    • In the Contents pane of the Styles Editor, place the cursor after any other codes, then from the property bar in the Styles Editor choose Arial Narrow font, then 10 point; then click OK to dismiss the Editor.
    • Click outside the Footer to return to the main document area. (If you didn't actually create a footer -- i.e., you inserted no text or codes in the footer itself -- no footer should appear on screen. That's okay: the Footer B style has been modified, which is what we are trying to do. It will be "upstream" from the footer text later, when you create a document from the template, and pass on its new formatting to that text.)
    • Save your template. When you create new documents based on that template, and then create a new Footer B, it should automatically format all text in Arial Narrow 10-point.

You could, of course, do all this in the default template, but that is only recommended if you are certain that you always want Arial Narrow 10-point in Footer B. You might not remember how to change it back if you need to, or you might find yourself needing to constantly change the font. A custom template is easier to copy (clone) and/or edit.

Tip: To reset the header, footer, or watermark style in the template where it was modified back to its factory default state: Edit the template and click Format, Styles. Choose the item that you wish to reset to its factory default. Click the Options button, then click Reset.