Keeping text box and surrounding text separate?

Madrona said:

So I've created a document with a table inserted on the left 1/4 side of the page with background color

The cursor started at the very top page edge (because I positioned the table to the page edge) and I couldn't insert the cursor anywhere else. As soon as I hit enter or arrow down or tab or anything it knocked the whole table off the first page and down to a second page.
etc

You're using the table concept all wrong. You've inserted the table as an object, no differnt to a text box or an image. The "object" is going to be at the whim of the cursor. MS Word is not designed or intended for such specific design lay out requiremnts

Using a table, the table should be inserted at the top of the page, and the cursor should start inside the table

The LEFT COLUMN (not the whole table) will be adjusted to 1/4 the width and coloured background. Then type in the right hand column ... all within the table

There are many other suggestions and options but a forum like this is extremely difficult to convey training for such a procedure - more appropriately either demonstrated face-to-face, or face-to-face hands-on training

So I'm wondering whether this is an appropriate place and time to be learning this? Maybe just go back to the formatted text layout

@Madrona,

I can see you are online. I will stay online for a few more minutes just in case you have any immediate questions about the sample Word file in my post #10.


Denis

I broke up what I did into steps. Note I have reduced the zoom level to show two pages at once. Note I have not used any tables.

1. Your document with changes I showed in Post #2



2.Hit Enter enough times to create 2nd page. Note Text Box has moved to 2nd page.



3. Select and Cut Text Box



4. Text Box has been cut and placed in paste buffer



5. Paste Text Box back into 1st page