Can I change the band around the outside of documents?

[penguin1239]

Hi,

Is it possible to make the area around the outside of documents smaller? I don't mean the text margins or the "border" that shows the limit of the text. I mean the default gray area that is 1 to 2 centimeters thick all the way around every document and stays behind every document like a background.

I have searched through the OpenOffice settings and on the web, but I'm having a hard time searching because I don't know what that area is called.

Sorry if this is a repeat of any previous questions.

Thanks,

penguin1239

[FJCC]

The only ways I know to do that are to adjust the width of the entire OpenOffice window or to change the zoom of the document (menu View -> Zoom or the little slider at the lower right). Combining those two gives you a little flexibility but not all that much.

[penguin1239]

Okay, thank you.

[Bill]

Did you try the View > Zoom > Optimal setting? It sets the zoom and postions the page automatically to hide the gray background and part of the side margins.

[penguin1239]

I have been playing around with the Zoom settings, but so far none of them have made much difference. The amount of gray around the edge is the same with the "optimal" setting as it is if I resize the window to make it smaller. But those two are at least smaller than the default size.

[RoryOF]

On my computer, "Optimal" setting in /View /Zoom or in % box will fill the screen side to side with the print area and a small amount of margin, with no gray desktop showing.

[Bill]

I have been playing around with the Zoom settings, but so far none of them have made much difference. The amount of gray around the edge is the same with the "optimal" setting as it is if I resize the window to make it smaller. But those two are at least smaller than the default size.

That sounds like the "Page Width" setting. There should be no gray on the sides with the "Optimal" setting. If gray is showing on the sides when using "Optimal", then you might try resetting your user profile and/or reinstalling OpenOffice.

[penguin1239]

Bill--

This is a new install. Both version 3.1 (on my XP computer), and version 4.1 (on Windows 10) do the same thing.

[RoryOF]

Are you using Comments/Annotations in your document? If so, the optimal and page width settings allow space for these Comments to show, even if they are not on the displayed page and will display at least one grey border. If you toggle /view /Comments to suppress their display, optimal will hide the grey borders.

But it would seem contradictory to use Comments and not display them.

[RoryOF]

Also, /View /Zoom, select Variable and enter a value for % will allow you precisely to change the scaling factor for the document; on my display screen, when Comments are in use, a zoom of 300% will hide the grey borders. The % box in right corner does not allow precise zooming. but the slider to its left does. Pull that to the right to zoom in, to the left to zoom out.

[penguin1239]

I don't have any Comments in the document, and the View menu won't let me edit that function if there aren't any (it's greyed out).

Setting the Zoom for 300% causes the grey to be very large--even bigger than when I first open a document.

So far, the smallest amound of grey I have been able to get has been with Zoom set to Optimal. It's about 1 cm on the top and sides, and about 4 cm on the bottom (with a 1 page document).

[Zizi64]

penguin1239,

please upload a screenshot about the a document and the problematic grey band.

I do not know what you meaning when you refer the "grey band".
I can guess only:
- the margins of the Writer document?
- the border of the page of the document?
- the shadow of the page in the application?
- the background of the document in the application?

[RoryOF]

penguin1239: what is resolution of your display screen?

[Lupp]

@penguin1239:
Your image shows a zoom factor of 48%. Thanks to a PM I noticed my misunderstanding.
Regard the post deleted.

[Zizi64]

@penguin1239:
Your image shows a zoom factor of 48%. Adjust it to your needs.

The only one attachment is mine. It is a sample of a possible view.

[RoryOF]

Note that the colour of the application background (the grey band) can be changed by /Tools /OpenOffice /Appearance /Application background.

[Bill]

I don't have any Comments in the document, and the View menu won't let me edit that function if there aren't any (it's greyed out).

That's a simple on/off view setting. It's grayed out because there are no comments to view if none have been inserted.

Setting the Zoom for 300% causes the grey to be very large--even bigger than when I first open a document.

That makes sense only if you started with a zoom greater than 300%. On my system at 300% zoom the page can be moved to completely cover the gray background, even when when the view is set to Full Screen.

So far, the smallest amound of grey I have been able to get has been with Zoom set to Optimal. It's about 1 cm on the top and sides, and about 4 cm on the bottom (with a 1 page document).

Please post screen shots. Either I'm completely misunderstanding what you're trying to do or your OpenOffice is behaving contrary to anything I've experienced.