Know and understand the purpose of setting page, section and column breaks

Document Production – Page, Section and Column Breaks (Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417, Section 13 Layout)

Learning Objective

Students will be able to:

• Explain the purpose of page, section and column breaks and choose the appropriate break for a given situation.
• Insert and manage breaks in a word‑processing document.
• Understand how breaks affect headings, footers, pagination, gutter margins, column layouts, tables, charts and overall document planning.

1. Overview of Document Production (Section 13)

When creating a report, essay, newsletter or any other document you must consider:

• Planning the structure (title page, front‑matter, body, appendices).
• Choosing a consistent style (fonts, colours, spacing, headings).
• Inserting objects – tables, charts, images – and setting text‑wrap.
• Using breaks to control pagination, orientation, column layout and the appearance of headers/footers.
• Proof‑reading (spell‑check, visual verification) before printing or exporting as PDF.

2. Types of Breaks

2.1 Page Break

• What it does: Forces the following text to start at the top of the next page.
• When to use it:
  • Start a new chapter, section or major unit.
  • Prevent a heading, table or image from being split across pages.
  • Separate the title page from the rest of the document.
• Effect on formatting: Only pagination changes (e.g., page 5 → page 6). Headers, footers, margins and orientation stay the same.
• How to insert: Layout / Page Layout → Breaks → Page Break (or Ctrl+Enter).

2.2 Section Break

A section break creates an independent “mini‑document” within the main file. Each section can have its own:

• Headers and footers (including page numbers).
• Page orientation (portrait ↔ landscape).
• Margins and gutter size.
• Number of columns.
• Page size and numbering format.

2.2.1 Types of Section Breaks (common in Word, LibreOffice, Google Docs)

2.2.2 Why use a Section Break instead of a Page Break?

• A page break cannot change headers, footers, orientation or column layout.
• Section breaks let you link or unlink headers/footers from the previous section, giving you different information on each part of the document.
• They allow you to restart page numbering (e.g., Roman numerals for front‑matter, Arabic for the main body).
• They enable a single landscape page or a multi‑column layout within an otherwise portrait, single‑column document.

2.2.3 Example – Adding a landscape table

1. Place the cursor just before the table.
2. Insert Section Break – Next Page.
3. With the cursor in the new section, choose Layout → Orientation → Landscape.
4. Adjust margins (or add a larger gutter) if required.
5. Insert the table.
6. After the table, insert another Section Break – Next Page and revert to Portrait orientation.

2.3 Column Break

• What it does: Ends the current column and moves the cursor to the top of the next column.
• When it is needed:
  • In a multi‑column section (newsletter, brochure) to keep a heading with its paragraph.
  • To prevent a long paragraph from being split between columns.
• Prerequisite: The section must already be set to have more than one column (usually via a Continuous section break).
• How to insert: Layout → Breaks → Column Break.

2.3.1 Mini‑section – Changing column layout

1. Place the cursor where the multi‑column area should start.
2. Insert a Section Break – Continuous.
3. With the cursor in the new section, go to Layout → Columns and choose the required number (e.g., 2).
4. Type or paste the text. When you need to start a new column before the automatic flow ends, insert a Column Break.
5. When the multi‑column part is finished, insert another Continuous section break and revert to a single column.

3. Supporting Features Required by the Syllabus

3.1 Headers and Footers

• Purpose: Provide consistent information such as document title, chapter name, author, date or page number.
• Creating: Insert → Header/Footer → Edit Header/Footer. Use the Design tab (or equivalent) to add text, fields (date, file name) or graphics.
• Linking/Unlinking: By default a new section links to the previous header/footer. Click Link to Previous to keep them the same, or deselect it to create an independent header/footer.
• Page numbers: Insert → Page Number → choose position & format. Use Format Page Numbers to switch between Roman (i, ii, …) and Arabic (1, 2, …) numerals or to restart numbering.
• Practical tip: View hidden formatting marks (¶) to see where section breaks are; this helps avoid accidental linking.

3.2 Tables

• Creating a table: Insert → Table → select rows × columns (or draw a table).
• Editing: Add/delete rows or columns, merge cells, adjust cell width/height, apply shading or borders.
• Text wrapping: With the table selected, choose Table Tools → Layout → Text Wrapping → Around (or “None” for inline).
• Caption & reference: Insert a caption above or below the table; use cross‑references for automatic numbering.
• When a table needs a landscape page: Use a section break (see 2.2.3) before and after the table.

3.3 Styles (Paragraph and Character)

• Why use styles? They ensure a consistent “house style” – same font, size, colour, spacing for headings, sub‑headings, body text, quotes, etc.
• Creating a style: Home → Styles → New Style. Define name, based on (e.g., Heading 1), font, size, line spacing, indentation.
• Applying a style: Place the cursor in a paragraph and click the style name, or use the shortcut (Ctrl+Alt+1 for Heading 1 in Word).
• Updating a style: Modify one paragraph, right‑click the style and choose “Update to Match Selection”. All paragraphs using that style change automatically.

3.4 Proofing

• Run Spelling & Grammar (F7 in Word) before finalising.
• Use Find & Replace to correct repeated errors or to update terminology.
• Check layout in Print Preview – verify that headings are not orphaned, tables are not split, and page numbers appear correctly.
• Enable Show/Hide ¶ to see hidden breaks, spaces, and paragraph marks; this helps spot formatting problems.

3.5 Graphs and Charts

• Inserting a chart: Insert → Chart → select type (column, line, pie, etc.). The chart editor opens with a spreadsheet‑like data table.
• Formatting: Add titles, axis labels, data labels, change colours, and adjust the legend.
• Placement: Charts are usually inserted inline with text, but you can set Text Wrapping → Square to place it beside a paragraph.
• Relation to breaks: If a chart is too wide for portrait, place it in a landscape section (see 2.2.3).

4. Planning a Document – Putting Breaks into Context

Below is a step‑by‑step plan for a typical 30‑page report. The same logic can be applied to shorter essays or longer dissertations.

4.1 Example Scenario – “Renewable Energy in Schools”

1. Title page – No header/footer, no page number. Insert a Section Break – Next Page after the title.
2. Front‑matter (i, ii, …) – Set page numbering to lower‑case Roman numerals. Use the same header/footer for all front‑matter sections (link them).
3. Chapter 1‑3 – Each chapter starts on a new page (Section Break – Next Page). Use Header “Renewable Energy in Schools – Chapter X”. Restart page numbering at 1 (Arabic) for the main body.
4. Landscape table on page 15 – Insert a Section Break – Next Page** before the table, change orientation to Landscape, adjust margins/gutter, insert the table, then insert another Section Break – Next Page** to return to Portrait.
5. Appendix – Section Break – Next Page, change footer to “Appendix – page X”, keep Portrait orientation.
6. Gutter margin – In Page Setup → Margins set Gutter = 1.5 cm. Apply to all sections that will be bound (usually the main body and appendix) but not to the title page if it is separate.