Microsoft Word Templates with multiple pages that remain hidden/don't print unless typed on

Question

I have created a Microsoft Word template for a letter at the company I'm working at.

The template currently has two master pages containing the company logo (1st master page is different to the second). It also has a specific layout of text boxes given to us by a marketing company as part of a rebranding.

Currently there are two linked text boxes on the first and second page of the document that will contain the body of the letter. However currently both pages will print even if the letter has not reached the second page. On top of that if the letter is more than two pages it cuts off where the second text box ends.

I am trying to achieve a template that will essentially grow with the message length, and use the master pages that i have set up, rather than having to create multiple empty pages with text boxes which would print out every time regardless of wether they had been used or not!

Hope this makes sense!

Really appreciate any help,

Theo

Answer 1

Word isn't really made for behavior such as this since if there is content on the body of a page, then the page is considered used as is printed.

You can try automatically enforce the printing of only the first page if the document does not span to the second page by using a macro. You can find the basis of overriding the print dialog and the macro from this question. The logic to determine if the document body has spilled over to the second page and the appropriate value to set the print page range is something for you to implement.