How do I get a "Normal" view in Word?

Question

How do I get a "normal" view instead of having to pick "Print view" and "Read mode" which distorts the view with a lot of dotted lines or takes away editing capabilities all together.

Answer 1

Hi, MomOctavia

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I realize that you've encountered a problem with Word and you want to get a Normal view.

What version of Office do you have?

Please know about that Normal View is now renamed Draft View and works the same way except for the name.

To activate this view, go to the "View" tab and click on "Draft" to convert it.

 

Please feel free to let me know how it goes.

Best Regards,

Cece | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Are you using the online version of Word (in a browser) or the desktop application? In the desktop application, the "new normal" is Print Layout view. As Cece has explained, the view previously known as Normal (in Word 2003 and earlier) was renamed "Draft" in Ribbon versions and is no longer even accessible from the status bar. But in the browser version, you have only Editing View (which is actually very much like the old Normal, showing the document as a continuous stream, with page breaks indicated by a broken line) and Reading View, which is more like Print Preview, showing the document page by page.

Answer 3

If you are in the desktop application, two display options come to mind.

Do you have display of non-printing formatting marks turned on?

Nonprinting Formatting Marks by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP

Are you showing text boundaries?

Text Boundaries Display in Microsoft Word

Answer 4

My version of Word is whatever is in the Office 365 program which I pay for each year.

The view you suggest does not give me the "Normal" view of which I speak and to which I'm accustomed.

For me "Normal" is without all those dotted lines or pushing the text over to the side of the window as the "Draft" view does. I've never used "draft" view and will never use it as it does not look like what I am typing. When I create a document I need it to look like the "Normal" finished version of whatever it is I'm creating, so I know what needs to be done to improve it!

Normal for me is the view that I get when selecting what you now call "Read Mode" but which has absolutely no editing capability and takes away all the tabs you utilize while editing your document! What kind of insane thing is this that MS is doing to Word?

In order to edit my document, I have to go to "Print Layout" view. I hate it and don't want all those dotted lines in front of me hurting my eyes and having to always switch views back and forth while working on a document! It's frustrating!

Answer 5

I believe that the preference you are describing is Print Layout view. It is still available, assuming that you you have the full Windows version of Word.

To make sure that you see the page breaks and headers/footers properly, select the option to "Show white space between pages in Print Layout view" (File > Options > Display).