How to format a paper in two columns? How to set up single column for abstract and column for text

Key points of this article

The abstract and main text should be separated by section breaks, and the number of columns should be set separately. You cannot just select two columns in the full text at once.
Select the continuous type for section breaks so that the text can be divided into columns from below the abstract without forcing a new page.
The column width, column spacing and dividing lines are based on the journal or school template. Check the requirements first before proceeding.
Cross-column charts and formulas should be placed in separate single-column sections, otherwise they will be squeezed into narrow columns.
After arranging, check the page number, header, and number of columns on each page, and check again before exporting to PDF.

Many people ask when writing a paper: How to format the paper in two columns? If the entire article has two columns, the operation is very simple, just select the full text and set two columns. The trouble is the common mixed format: title, author, and abstract remain in single columns, starting with "Keywords" or "1 Introduction" and then become double columns. Dissertations, conference manuscripts, and some journal submission templates all have this requirement. Many people are stuck on "how to make the abstract not divided into columns and the main text to be divided into columns from the middle."

This article is written for students, researchers, and teaching assistants who need to format their papers in Word. After reading, you will know which format to choose first, how to use section breaks to separate the abstract and the main text, how to set column widths and separators, and where to make mistakes after sorting. The method takes Word as an example. It talks about a general idea and is basically applicable to other desktop office software.

How to format a paper in two columns? One sentence conclusion

Divide the abstract and main text into different sections using section breaks. Set the section where the main text is located to two columns, and the section where the abstract is located to maintain a single column. Then unify the font and paragraph style of the entire article. This can satisfy mixed layouts without affecting subsequent page numbers and headers.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
The entire article requires double columns.	After selecting the full text, set it to two columns without dividing it into sections.	Less operations and less error-prone
The abstract is single column, and the main text is double columns starting from somewhere	Insert a continuous section break before the text, and set the text section to two columns	The abstract and main text do not affect each other, and the number of columns can be changed independently.
Charts or formulas need to span two columns	Insert a section break before and after this place, and set the middle section to a single column.	Wide images will not be squeezed into narrow columns
Journals have strict regulations on column widths and dividing lines	First set the parameters according to the template, and then check section by section.	If the format is not compliant when submitting, it may be returned for modification.

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Checking the following items clearly before starting can save a lot of rework time.

Check template requirements: Journals or schools usually provide column width, column spacing, font size and whether separators are required. Set it according to the requirements first, and do not adjust it based on your feelings, otherwise the number of pages and layout will not match the review requirements.
Confirm that the source file is in Word format: Columns, sections and styles are all functions of Word documents. If you only have PDF in hand, it is difficult to change the layout directly. It is recommended to return to the original .docx file layout and finally export the PDF.
Unified Style: It is recommended to use styles instead of manually adjusting font sizes for text, titles, figures and references. After the styles are unified, there will be no problem of inconsistent font sizes when switching between columns.
List objects across columns: Read through to identify wide tables, large figures, and long formulas. They are a common problem in mixed layouts and require planning ahead of time in which section they will go.
Back up the original file: Section and column operations involve changes in the document structure. Save a copy before making changes, and you can roll back when something goes wrong.

Steps to set up single column summary and double column text in Word

Save as backup: First save the paper as a copy, and all operations will be performed on the copy.
Position the dividing point: Place the cursor at the end of the abstract or after the keywords and at the beginning of the first paragraph of the text. Make sure that the dividing point is between paragraphs, not in the middle of the sentence.
Insert continuous section break: Find "Delimiter" in the "Layout" related tab, and select the continuous type when inserting a section break. This type of section break will not force the text to start on another page. If the next page type is selected, the text will start from a new page, which does not meet the requirements of mixed layout.
Select the text range: Select from the first paragraph of the text to before the references, or select the last paragraph that needs to be divided into columns. The selection should not contain a single column of content other than the title.
Set two columns: In the column options related to page settings, set the number of columns to two columns, and set the application scope to "Selected text". In this way, only the selected text will become double columns, and the abstract will remain single column.
Adjust column width and separator lines: Set the column width and column spacing according to the template requirements, and check "Separator Line" when a separator line is required. If you require two columns to be of equal width, select the Equal Width option.
Processing cross-column objects: If a wide picture needs to occupy the entire line, insert a continuous section break before and after it, set the part where it is located to a single column, and then switch the following content back to double columns after the picture is completed.
Check header and footer: After sectioning, the header and footer may be disconnected or inherit the settings of the previous section. According to the school's requirements, decide whether to cancel the "link to the previous section" and confirm that the page numbers are continuous.

Check each item after completion

After the typesetting is completed, don’t rush to submit it. Check it item by item according to the form below.

Check items	How to see	What to do if there is a problem
Whether the abstract is single column	Turn to the summary page and see if the text spans the entire line	Check whether the section break is inserted after the summary and whether the selection contains the summary by mistake
Whether the main text starts in double columns from the specified position	Scroll to the starting page of the text and confirm that the columns start from this paragraph	Delete the extra section breaks, reselect the text and set it to two columns
Column width and column spacing	Check against template parameters using ruler or column dialog box	Correct values in column settings and apply to corresponding sections
hurdle chart	Check whether the wide picture is pressed into the narrow column and whether the title is misplaced	Place the chart into a single column section and adjust the position of the front and rear section breaks
Page numbers and headers	Turn over a few pages to see if the page numbers are consecutive and whether the headers are connected.	Cancel "Link to previous section", or modify the page number starting setting
Formulas and References	Check whether the formula overflows the column width and whether the reference is still a double column	Reduce the formula or adjust the width of the paragraph, and decide whether to divide the reference into columns as required.

Before exporting the PDF, it is recommended to read it page by page, especially the pages near the section breaks. The results of automatic machine typesetting may not be consistent with expectations, and manual review is reliable.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How to divide the paper into columns? The abstract should not be divided into columns, but the main text should be divided into columns?

Insert a "continuous" type of section break between the end of the abstract and the beginning of the text, then select only the text range and set it to two columns, and select "Selected text" for the application range. In this way, the abstract remains in a single column, and the text is divided into columns from below the abstract.

2. How to arrange the left and right layout of the paper? Is it the same thing as double columns?

What is commonly referred to as "left and right typesetting" is double columns, that is, a page is divided into two text areas on the left and right. The two are the same concept, just expressed in different ways. When looking at a template, the key is to look at the number of columns and column spacing it requires.

3. What should I do if the page number or header is suddenly disconnected after dividing into columns?

This is a common situation after sectioning, because each section may inherit or break the header of the previous section by default. Check the link settings in the headers and footers of each section, cancel or retain the links uniformly, and confirm the starting value and continuity of page numbers.

4. What should I do if the section break is inserted in the wrong position and the whole page is messed up?

Display the section breaks, find the wrong one, delete it directly, and reinsert it at the correct position. After deleting the section break, the formats of the two sections before and after may be merged, and the number of columns needs to be reset.

5. Can the PDF be directly changed to double columns?

PDF has a fixed layout, so it is difficult to directly adjust the number of columns. It is recommended to go back to the Word source file to set up double columns, and then export it to PDF. If you only have PDF at hand and need to modify the text, you can first use PDF editing tools to modify the text content, but the layout adjustment should still be completed in the source file.

📝 Summary

The key to double-column layout of the paper is to use section breaks to separate the abstract and the main text. Only set up two columns for the main text. Charts and formulas should be placed in single-column sections as needed. Check the template requirements before starting, and check the page numbers, headers, and cross-column objects one by one after arranging. This can avoid most of the rework.

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