Blank pages after converting word to pdf

josephine extra blank pages when exporting to pdf from Word" />Windows 10 extra blank pages when exporting to pdf from Word" />Office 2013

I have a large document (about 200 pages) and when saving as a pdf, extra blank pages are inserted. At the moment I have a watermark on the document ("Draft") and the watermark does not appear on the inserted blank pages in the pdf, marking them as 'extraneous' in my view. An added complication is that in one case, I want page numbering to start following a blank page that I have inserted so have a section break there too. But in pdf form, there is always an extra unwanted blank page.

Charles Kenyon extra blank pages when exporting to pdf from Word" />Windows 10 extra blank pages when exporting to pdf from Word" />Office 2016

You are using Odd-Page (or Even-Page) section breaks instead of Next-Page.

With those, if the next page will not be odd-numbered, Word creates a blank page (completely blank) so that the next typed page will be odd-numbered.

Stefan Blom extra blank pages when exporting to pdf from Word" />Windows 10 extra blank pages when exporting to pdf from Word" />Office 2016

Note that since the page number is being restarted, Word may very well add a blank "filler" page even with a Next Page type of section; the reason is to ensure that an odd-numbered page number is displayed on the right-hand page.

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Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional