How can I get text on merged cells to align with single-cells in Excel 2010?

[sugarmercy]

Hello,
I'm working on a dynamic spreadsheet in Excel 2010. It is a bylaws amendment document, and so each line has to be numbered. I used a center column to display the ongoing numbers. On either side, I have merged cells so that every paragraph could be in one merged cell together, but I want each line of text within these merged cells to correspond to a line number in the center column.

What I've noticed is that the first 10 or so lines in the merged cell will align perfectly with the line numbers in that central column, but as the paragraph in the merged cell continues, the alignment falls out of place, so that my last sentence in the merged cell, for instance, looks like it could be either 504 or 505 based on the center column. This is especially noticeable when I print it.

This isn't an auto fit issue--I don't want to auto fit the cells as I need to have each line of type numbered. I've tried changing the vertical alignment but that only changes where in my paragraph the line-to-line alignment starts to not correspond.

I've also tried changing the row height--it is currently set at 0.53cm, and I've tried both making it smaller and larger, and Excel just reverts it back to 0.53cm

Any help is very sincerely appreciated!

 

[sugarmercy]

If you merge the cells containing the line numbers, and separate the line numbers with line feeds, and use the same font face and size for the numbers are the text, the rows between text and numbers will align.

Your boss needs training in remedial computer.

I would, except he wants the document to be dynamic, so if someone has to come in and type something new up in the document, in a few quick clicks the numbers will change accordingly instead of having to manually change all the numbers. Anyways I've shown him how you can do that on Excel by dragging the lower corner of a few cells (3 or more so that Excel can pick up the pattern) down and double-clicking.

Any other ideas? I honestly don't understand why these lines don't *line* up. Seems like I should be able to fix this with row height or something, but I can't for the life of me get the row height to change. I'll edit the row height and put something in, and it changes to that briefly in the document then reverts to something else. ARGGGGG

 

[shg]

Post a workbook without sensitive information someplace (I'd prefer box.net) and post a link.

EDIT: BTW, whatever font face and font size you use in both the text column and the numbers column MUST be the same as is set for style Normal for the workbook.

 

[sugarmercy]

Post a workbook without sensitive information someplace (I'd prefer box.net) and post a link.

EDIT: BTW, whatever font face and font size you use in both the text column and the numbers column MUST be the same as is set for style Normal for the workbook.

Ok! I haven't done that before ever but I'm sure I could figure it out

I'm off work till Monday so I'll do it then. Pleeeeease don't forget about me! Thanks for being so willing to help.

- Colleen