You may find that sometimes objects such as graphics, text boxes, or tables extend so low on a page that they create an additional page. Because there’s no text line below the box, you can’t remove the extra page.

The handiest quick-fix is the Shrink To Fit feature. Whether you’re creating a document that must adhere to a certain page count, or you just want to save a tree, the Shrink To Fit feature can help you quickly condense a document that’s running a few lines long. Just follow these three easy steps:

1. Select File | Print Preview from the menu bar. As an alternative, click the Print Preview button on the Standard toolbar.
2. In the Preview window, click the Shrink To Fit button on the Print Preview toolbar. If your document’s font sizes offer enough wiggle room, Word automatically adjusts them proportionally to reduce the document length by one page.
3. If you’re unhappy with the results, simply press [Ctrl]Z to undo the action ([command]Z in Word 2004).

This technique should work well with documents containing tables, but depending on your document layout, it may not work with all of a document’s text boxes.

To squeeze a text box onto a single page, your best bet is to size and position the text box so that it doesn’t exceed your page and margin dimensions. Then resize the font size of the text box’s contents so that it all fits within the text box’s visible area.

Adapt for Word 2007
The Shrink To Fit feature works a little differently in Word 2007. First, click the Office button and choose Print | Print Preview to view your document in print preview. On the Print Preview tab, in the Preview group, click the Shrink One Page button to fit your document onto one less page. Word continues to shrink your document by one page each time you click the button. If you don’t like the results, just press [Ctrl]Z to undo the changes.

Filed under: Microsoft Office Tutor