How to Delete a Blank Page in LibreOffice, OpenOffice Writer

Here are some tricks to delete blank pages in LibreOffice, OpenOffice Writer.

Have you ever encountered a frustrating blank page in your LibreOffice or OpenOffice Writer document?

Blank pages usually occur due to formatting or content-related issues within your document. These issues can include extra page breaks, hidden content, incorrect paragraph formatting, or large margins pushing content onto a new page. By identifying the root cause, you can choose the most appropriate method to delete the blank page.

Common Issues with Blank Pages

Here are some common patterns of blank pages:

• Blank page at the end of the document: You may find an empty page at the very end of your document. This can be resolved by checking the last section’s formatting.
• Blank page between sections: If your document has multiple sections, you might come across blank pages between them. Analyzing the section breaks and adjusting them accordingly can help eliminate these blank pages.

Steps to delete blank pages

Method 1: Deleting Blank Pages Manually (Recommended)

If you spot a blank page while reviewing your document, you can try deleting it manually. Here’s how:

• Navigate to the blank page in your document.
• Place your cursor at the end of the previous page.
• Press the “Delete” key on your keyboard until the blank page is removed.
• Repeat this process for any additional blank pages.

Note: Instead of the Delete key, you can also put a cursor at the beginning of the blank page and press backspace.

Method 2: Adjusting Page Breaks

Sometimes, unwanted page breaks can lead to blank pages. Adjusting these page breaks can help resolve the issue. Follow these steps:

• Open your document in LibreOffice or OpenOffice Writer.
• Enable the display of non-printing characters.
• Identify the page break causing the blank page.
• Delete or modify the page break to eliminate the blank page.

Method 3: Modifying Paragraph Formatting

Inconsistent paragraph formatting can disrupt the flow of your content and create blank pages. Consider these steps to address this issue:

• Select the paragraph immediately before or after the blank page.
• Right-click and choose “Paragraph” from the context menu.
• Adjust the paragraph formatting, such as line spacing and pagination, to avoid blank pages.

Method 4: Adjusting Page Styles

Incorrect page styles or formatting settings can contribute to blank pages. Follow these steps to correct them:

• Open the “Styles and Formatting” pane.
• Locate the section containing the blank page.
• Modify the page style or formatting settings to ensure proper page breaks.

Method 5: Adjusting Margins

Large margins can push content onto a new page, leaving the previous page blank. Adjusting the margins can help rectify this issue:

• Click on the “Format” menu in LibreOffice or OpenOffice Writer.
• Select “Page” or a similar option.
• Modify the margins to a suitable size, ensuring content fits properly.

Method 6: Checking for Hidden Content (Only for OpenOffice)

Hidden content, like images or tables, can sometimes extend beyond the visible area, resulting in blank pages. Here’s what you can do:

• Click on the “View” menu in OpenOffice Writer.
• Select “Hidden Paragraphs” or a similar option to reveal hidden content.
• Remove any content that extends beyond the intended area.

This option is only available for OpenOffice.

Last method

If none of the above methods works, you should create a blank Writer document and copy/paste the contents to the new document. Then format accordingly.

Conclusion

I hope you are able to get rid of those blank pages using any of the above methods. Do let me know in the comment box which method worked.