Especially when you require a neat and orderly manuscript, deleting blank pages in Microsoft Word can be a painful process. For a variety of reasons—page breaks, additional spaces, accidental section splits—blank pages can show up. Once you know the correct procedures, eliminating these undesired sites is very simple. Covering several approaches to solve typical problems, this page offers thorough directions on how to remove blank pages in Word.
Why Would Word Show Blank Pages?
Understanding why blank pages could show up in a Word document will help one approach the answers. The most often occurring reasons consist in:
- Sometimes people unintentionally include page breaks, which results in an additional page.
- Extra blank pages could come from hidden paragraph markings or spaces left at the end of a manuscript.
- Section breaks—especially when a page break is scheduled to begin a new section—may cause a new page to show up.
- Tables or images: Sometimes they force material onto a blank page if they span the following page.
Knowing these causes will enable you to more successfully eradicate them.
How to Remove Blank Pages in Word
Delete Blank Pages Using Backspace Key
Usually, the backspace key allows you to swiftly erase your blank page at the finish of the manuscript.
- Step 1: Start by pointing the cursor at the end of the document following the blank page.
- Step 2: Press the backspace key in second till the blank page is deleted.
This approach applies whether inadvertent gaps or hidden paragraph marks generated the blank page. This approach may not work, though, if a page break or section break is producing the blank page.
Eliminate Page Breaks
Page breaks might lead to additional blank pages. Should the document feature a manual page break, you will have little trouble deleting it.
- Step 1: Click the Home tab first.
- Step 2: Turn on the Show/Hide ¶ button. Page breaks and other secret characters will come to light here.
- Step 3: Find the page break; it will show up as a dashed line under Page Break.
- Step 4: Press the Delete key while the cursor is immediately before the page break.
This eliminates the undesired blank page and the page break.
Remove a Blank Page Resulting from Section Breaks
Section breaks cause occasionally a blank page. Usually resulting in a blank page at the conclusion, these breaks split a document into several pieces.
- Step 1: Click the Home tab.
- Step 2: To show section breaks, first activate the Show/Hide ¶ button.
- Step 3: Look for the section break causing the blank page in the third step. It will be designated as Section Break (Continuous) or Section Break (Next Page).
- Step 4: Press Delete after pointing the cursor ahead of the section break.
Should the section break fall near the conclusion of the document, this will essentially eliminate the extra page.
Remove a Blank Page with Navigation Pane
Use the Navigation Pane to inspect and remove blank pages if you are having difficulties manually locating the blank page.
- Step 1: First, click on the View tab.
- Step 2: Look for the Navigation Pane box.
- Step 3: Click on the Pages tab of the Navigation Pane to view thumbnails of every page in your manuscript.
- Step 4: Move the Navigation Pane’s blank page to the top.
- Step 5: Click the empty page thumbnail in the Navigation Pane and press the Delete key.
Even if the blank pages are not immediately apparent in the main document, this approach lets you locate and delete any of them fast.
Cut Extra Spaces and Paragraph Marks
A blank page occasionally results from excess spaces or hidden paragraph marks at the end of the manuscript.
- Step 1: Under the Home tab, first turn on the Show/Hide ¶ button.
- Step 2: Look for any extra paragraph marks (¶) or spaces at the document’s end.
- Step 3: Using the Backspace or Delete key, choose and remove any unnecessary paragraph marks or spaces.
This approach performs effectively if you believe that an overabundance of empty lines or spaces causes the blank page.
Look for Either a Table or Image Overflow
Sometimes the content might be pushed onto an empty page by a table or image spanning the next page.
- Step 1: First, see whether the blank page features any tables or images.
- Step 2: Change the image or table size to fit the content area.
- Step 3: Move or shrink any big images or tables to prevent forcing material onto a fresh page.
When working on documents with intricate layouts or big objects like tables and images, this phase is especially helpful.
Typical Mistakes Made When Eliminating Empty Pages
- Not showing concealed formatting marks: Without formatting marks, hidden page breaks and section breaks might be challenging to find. Always make sure the Show/Hide ¶ button is turned on while editing.
- Deleting the incorrect break: Deleting breaks in your manuscript should be done carefully since missing the correct break could compromise your formatting. Make sure you are just removing the page or section breaks generating the blank page.
- Not changing table or image size: Resizing images or tables that produce a blank page is essential to suit the document margins.
FAQ Section
How Might I Delete a Blank Page at the Conclusion of My Word Document?
Pressing the Backspace key while pointing your cursor at the conclusion of the document will delete a blank page. Should that prove unsatisfactory, look for page breaks or section breaks.
Why Is the Last Page of My Word Document Blank?
Usually driven by a page break, section break, or extra paragraph marks, a blank page at the end of a Word document is easily eliminated by removing these components.
After a Table in Word, How Do I Remove a Blank Page?
The table pushing material into the next page most likely results in a blank page showing after it. Resize the table or search for more paragraph marks to eliminate the empty page.
How Might I Eliminate a Blank Page in Word Using the Navigation Pane?
Indeed, blank pages can be found and eliminated with the Navigation Pane. To remove the blank page thumbnail, click on the View tab, activate Navigation Pane, then click on it.
Should Eliminating a Page Break Prove Ineffective, What Should I Do?
Make sure you are eliminating the proper break—page or section break—and not altering other formatting if deleting a page break does not work. Show/Hide ¶ enables you to find concealed breaks.