fixed-width google docs – UGH
I use googledocs a lot. Recently they changed the default format for new docs to a horrible fixed-width page layout:
This wastes a ton of space and allows me to see far less text per screen. Also it’s ugly. I don’t need to see margins on a fake “page” when 99.99% of my documents will never be printed! And if I do want to see a page layout like this, I can just choose “view” -> “fixed-width page”.
I found a fix on this page of people complaining about this dreadful new “feature”:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Docs/thread?tid=0cf3f67e3bde8a86&hl=en
1. Go to settings (upper right hand corner)
2. Select Editing
3. Uncheck: Create new text documents using the latest version of the document editor
Now, reload googledocs, or close all its tabs and start over. New documents should be the old-style full-width layout, so just copy the text out of one of your fixed-width docs, make a new doc, and paste it in. Voila!
If google eventually decides to force everyone to always use fixed-width layouts, I guess I’ll have to find a new online text-editor.
Category: Blog, Tech 3 comments »
August 31st, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Wow. This is quite weird.
I don’t think I’ve seen variable width for a while! I didn’t really pay any attention when it changed, but I think I’ve had the fixed-width page for at least a year or twi, it seems…
I wonder which version Google Docs uses if you uncheck that “use latest version” option. I’ve just tried doing that, but I didn’t see any difference…
August 31st, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Hey Jc,
It switched to the new version within the last couple of months for me.
When you uncheck “use latest version” you must reload googledocs. Or even close all of its tabs, just to make sure. That’s what I did. And then next doc I made was variable-width, thank goodness. All your docs will keep the formatting they were created with — that’s why I had to copy and paste old fixed-width stuff into new variable-width docs.
The older interface allows you to choose fixed-width under the view menu. I suppose it’s possible that you’ve got that option checked by default. The new version has no such options under the view menu. You’re forced to use fixed-width unless you uncheck that option in the settings menu as described.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:23 am
OOOh I’ll try that. I only opened an existing document to check the formatting.