Prevent strong language around my computer

[crudshoveller]

Can an MS Word page be manipulated to WYSIWYG on screen. Even applying the help suggestions (say ensuring I am in 'normal' mode), whether in 'document-build' mode or in print preview, it doesn't give me 1:1, regardless of what scale setting I apply - the proportions of the page are always wrong. It prints OK, but I want to see what I get before I print.
Is a 1:1 image preview unobtainable in MS Word?
Thanks
[XP & latest edition of MS Word].

[soybean]

Your post is a puzzling one.  In Preview, I definitely see exactly what actually prints.  Where are you getting the "proportion" concept, here?  That word appears no where in the print preview or print commands, as far as I can tell.  

And, where do you see "'document-build'" mode?  At the lower left corner of the Word window, you have small icons representing Normal View, Web Layout View, Print Layout View, Outline View, and Reading Layout, but no  "'document-build'" view.

[crudshoveller]

Mr Soybean specialist, the proportions selected for paper size are not obtainable on screen, only on the final print.
Maybe the screen is not intended to accurately represent the selected format of the document, or perhaps its is  -I would think it should be. What I mean is that a selected document page size of 5.5x8.5 inches appears on the screen as a distorted 5.5x9. I would like to be able to (if necessary) to adjust the scale to see 5.5x8.5. Doing reams of test prints does not cut it for me.
Thanks

[Rob Pomeroy]

So your problem is that you can get one dimension (say, width) right (e.g. using the zoom function) but not the other?  The problem you have here is that Word can be aware of screen resolution, but not of the physical characteristics of your monitor.  Your monitor probably has width and height controls.  I suggest you cut out a 5x9 (or whatever) piece of paper; get one dimension right using Word's zoom function (holding the piece of paper against the screen) then get the other dimension right using the height/width adjustment on your monitor.

Caveats:

Word is not a professional grade publishing layout package.  Sizes reported in Word may be close to accurate, but they are not precise.

Unless you are a professional printer, you will probably not be using an accurate printer.  The biggest problem is page feeding; most printers skew the page even if it's just a little, or feed the page fractionally more/less each time.

If you need precision results, you have to use precision tools.

PS  I very much enjoyed the title to this thread.  

[crudshoveller]

Thank you M'sieur.
Crud