Setting custom size problem

Hi,
I'm having a problem setting a custom size in Word 2002. When I've selected
'Custom Size' from Page Setup I then go and start changing the height and
width. I reduce the width to 21.9cm, and then I start reducing to height
down to 27.6cm, but when I reach 28.3cm on my way down, the paper size
automatically switches to 'Letter' from 'Custom'. Ordinarily I wouldn't care
about this, but if you then click ok and exit out, then go back in again the
settings have been set to the true 'Letter' margins of 21.59cm by 27.94.
Can someone tell me how to set the size of Custom close to that of 'Letter'
without having it automatically default to 'Letter'?

Thanks.

There may not be a way. Word is maddening that way. The best you can do is
accept the size and adjust your margins accordingly.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Brad190077" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I'm having a problem setting a custom size in Word 2002. When I've
selected
'Custom Size' from Page Setup I then go and start changing the height and
width. I reduce the width to 21.9cm, and then I start reducing to height
down to 27.6cm, but when I reach 28.3cm on my way down, the paper size
automatically switches to 'Letter' from 'Custom'. Ordinarily I wouldn't
care
about this, but if you then click ok and exit out, then go back in again
the
settings have been set to the true 'Letter' margins of 21.59cm by 27.94.
Can someone tell me how to set the size of Custom close to that of
'Letter'
without having it automatically default to 'Letter'?

Thanks.

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 20:27:01 -0700, "Brad190077"
wrote:

Hi,
I'm having a problem setting a custom size in Word 2002. When I've selected
'Custom Size' from Page Setup I then go and start changing the height and
width. I reduce the width to 21.9cm, and then I start reducing to height
down to 27.6cm, but when I reach 28.3cm on my way down, the paper size
automatically switches to 'Letter' from 'Custom'. Ordinarily I wouldn't care
about this, but if you then click ok and exit out, then go back in again the
settings have been set to the true 'Letter' margins of 21.59cm by 27.94.
Can someone tell me how to set the size of Custom close to that of 'Letter'
without having it automatically default to 'Letter'?

Thanks.

In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, you must define custom paper sizes to
the printer before you try to set them in Word. A paper size is called
a "form" in this context.

To create a new size, try Windows | Control Panel | Printers, then
File | Server Properties | Forms tab. Use the "Create a New Form"
check box, enter the required sizes (don't try to set margins beyond
what the printer can actually print), and save the form. Once you have
done this, the new form should be available to all applications in
their Paper Size box. You may need to restart Word to get it to see
the new size.

If the new form does not show up for use by applications, you can try
the alternative method. In the Server Properties dialog, select an
existing form, modify the settings, check the box to create a new
form, change the name and save the form.

Note that the new form will only appear on the computer where it is
created. If you are creating a new form for a shared printer, create
it on the print server computer.

There are apparently several bugs in custom paper sizes. Sometimes you
can succeed in creating a custom size, but then the printer driver
insists on setting the wrong margins. If you try to create a custom
size that is "too close" to an existing size, Windows will insist on
using the existing size. This will result in incorrect centering of
your text. The only cure seems to be to accept the existing size and
set margins to compensate.

Bob S