


: “Two of the section break types result in the addition of blank pages to the document, if necessary.Word accommodates this reluctance by changing Next Page breaks to Odd Page so the printer can print the pages on separate sheets. It seems to be especially difficult for them to duplex (print both sides of) pages with different orientations. The reason for this is that most printers really don’t like to print landscape rotating text and graphics is apparently a more complex operation for them. This frequently happens when a landscape page appears on the back of a portrait one, or vice versa.

… Sometimes a Next Page break will be converted to an Odd Page break. Similarly, an Even Page break may cause Word to insert a blank odd page. This page is completely invisible to the user (except in Print Preview with facing pages displayed) but will be “printed” by the printer. If the text before the break ends on an odd page, Word will insert a blank even page between the two odd pages. An Odd Page break causes the following text to start a new odd page. A Next Page break causes the following text to start a new page.
MAC MICROSOFT WORD PRINT LANDSCAPE WINDOWS
This behavior occurs because Word for Windows cannot position two odd or two even pages in a row therefore, it inserts an even or odd page between the pages. : “In Microsoft Word, if the insertion point is positioned on an odd page and you insert an odd-page section break, a blank page will be generated after the section break….Once you select Different Odd/Even H&Fs in Page Layout, Odd will always be on the right and Word will always slip in a blank even page when necessary.” (comment by TerFar (Terry Farrell?), 29 August 2011) : “That’s normal and always have been so.: “If you are using Odd/Even pages, Word will always start a new section on the right hand (odd) page which is convention.” (Scomment from Terry Farrell, Microsoft Word MVP).Here’s some further reading/explanation for this blank page:
MAC MICROSOFT WORD PRINT LANDSCAPE PDF
You won’t see these ‘blanks’ on screen when you’re viewing the Word document, or in a PDF created from that Word document. This convention has been part of Word since forever, and is a carry-over from the book printing industry. A portrait page will NOT print on a landscape page if they are in two sections with different page orientations. Again, if you’re printing double-sided, this is what you want to happen, but it’s disconcerting when you’re printing single-sided.

Well, the answer is that this is ‘by design’. But when you print that document onto paper, you may find that you end up with several blank pages (no headers/footers - just blank) scattered throughout the printout. If you have a long document with many section breaks (especially for odd/even pages and landscape/portrait orientations) it will look fine on screen and as a PDF.
