Working with Page Formatting
You can control a great deal of the formatting that will be applied to the actual printed pages using the Page Style dialog box. This dialog box allows you to control everything from margins, to page layout, to headers and footers.
Page formatting is probably one of the last things that you will want to do to a spreadsheet before you actually print it out. And many of the formatting options that you select, such as headers and footers, will only appear on the spreadsheet when you print it out or view the pages in the Page Preview mode.
Page formatting options are selected in the Page Style dialog box. By default, your spreadsheets are formatted with the default page style, which includes default margin settings, default headers, default footers, etc. You can actually create different page styles and then apply them to a spreadsheet. This cuts down on the amount of page formatting selections you have to make at any one time because all the settings that you need can be contained in a particular page style. Page styles are discussed in the section “Understanding Page Styles” later in this chapter.
To Set Margins and Page Orientation
The Page tab of the Page Style dialog box allows you to control the page margins, paper format, page layout, and page numbering.
1. |
Select the Format menu, then select Page. The Page Style dialog box will open. |
2. |
Select the Page tab (see Figure 12.5). Figure 12.5. The Page tab allows you to manipulate margins and other page layout attributes.
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3. |
To set margins, use the appropriate spinner box (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to set the new margin. |
4. |
To change the paper format, select the Paper format drop-down list and select a new paper format (such as legal). |
5. |
To change the page orientation, click the appropriate option button (Portrait or Landscape). |
6. |
To set the paper source, click the Paper source drop-down list and make your selection (the default is From printer settings, which allows you to set tray and paper feeding settings in the printer's Properties box). |
7. |
To set the page layout (which actually relates to which of the pages in the spreadsheet will be affected by the current formatting), click the Page layout drop-down list. The default is All (meaning both right and left pages). To format the right and left pages differently, select Right or Left and then select the appropriate settings (you have to select each, one at a time, and then pick the settings). If you are planning on printing documents that will be printed on both sides of the paper and then be bound, use the Mirrored Page Layout selection. |
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To select a style for the page numbering, click the Numbering drop-down list and select from one of the styles provided. |
9. |
You can also choose to center the filled cells (your Calc table) on either the horizontal (left to right) or vertical (top to bottom) orientation of the page. Click the Horizontal or Vertical checkbox (or both) in the Orientation area of the dialog box. A preview of each setting is provided in the Preview area. |
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When you have made all your selections, click OK or select one of the other tabs on the dialog box to configure other settings related to the page. |
To Create Borders
You can also place a border on the pages of the spreadsheet. You can select the line style, choose a border format, and apply a shadow (if you wish). Page borders are created on the Border tab of the Page Style dialog box.
1. |
Open the Page Style dialog box (Format, then Page). |
2. |
Click the Border tab (see Figure 12.6). Figure 12.6. The Border tab allows you to create a border for spreadsheet pages.
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3. |
Select one of the presets for the border, or click on the frame to place your own borders (just click on the area where you want to place a border line). |
4. |
To set the spacing between the border and the contents of the page, click the Spacing button. The Spacing dialog box will open. Select the different spacing settings and then click OK to return to the Border tab. |
5. |
Select a line style in the Line Style list. |
6. |
Click the Color drop-down list to select a color for the border line. |
7. |
To include a shadow on the edge of the border, select one of the shadow positioning buttons in the Shadow Style area. |
8. |
To select the color for the Shadow, click the Color drop-down list in the Shadow Style area of the dialog box. |
9. |
When you have made your settings for the page border, click OK to close the dialog box or click one of the other tabs on the dialog box. |
To Create a Background
The Page Style dialog box also provides you with the ability to place a colored background on spreadsheet pages.
1. |
Open the Page Style dialog box (choose Format, then Page). |
2. |
Click the Background tab (see Figure 12.7). Figure 12.7. The Background tab allows you to “colorize” your page backgrounds.
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3. |
To select a color for the page background, make sure Color is selected in the As drop-down box. |
4. |
Click a color on the color palette. A preview of the background will be placed in the Preview area. |
5. |
To use a graphic as a background (basically like wallpaper), click the As drop-down list and select Graphic (see Figure 12.8). Figure 12.8. You can use a graphic as a background for your pages.
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6. |
Use the Browse button to locate the file that will serve as the background, then open it. |
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You can insert the graphic as a link by clicking the Link checkbox. |
8. |
To position the graphic on the page, click the Position option button. The Position grid will be activated and you can select the relative positioning of the graphic on the page. |
9. |
To tile the graphic on the spreadsheet pages, select the Tile option button. |
10. |
When you have selected your settings for the background, click OK or click another tab on the dialog box (to change those settings). |
