WD97: Template Layout Changes When Opened in Word

In Word 97, when you open a template created in an earlier version of Word, the template will look different from the way it looked in previous versions of Word. Specifically, document formatting (for example, character spacing, line spacing, and page breaks) is not displayed or printed the way that it is in earlier versions of Word.

Unlike previous versions of Microsoft Word, Word 97 does not rely on printer information (metrics) to lay out the document. Word 97 uses a new printer-independent layout scheme controlled by the "Use printer metrics to lay out document" compatibility option. In Word 97, this option is turned off by default.

To use printer metrics to lay out the document (and simulate the behavior of earlier versions of Word), do the following:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Compatibility tab.
3. In the Recommended Options For list, click Microsoft Word 97.
4. Click to select the "Use printer metrics to layout document" check box.

The template will then use the layout scheme based on the current printer metrics.

NOTE: This is a document-specific setting and only affects the current document unless you click the Default button. If you click the Default button, all the currently selected options on the selected tab will become the defaults for all new documents based on the current template. If you click the Default button, the Recommended Options For list changes to Custom.

This behavior does not occur if the document or template contains printer fonts. If the document or template contains printer fonts, the document formatting will be the same regardless of whether you open it in Word 97 or in an earlier version of Word.