• A New Column processing instruction always takes effect, even if:

◦ It is inserted more than once on the same line.

◦ It is at the top of an empty page or column. Each subsequent _newcolumn in a series of subsequent _newcolumns results in an additional blank column.

◦ It is inserted between tags with a keeps style characteristic set (which _newcolumn overrides).

• It takes effect immediately at a forced text break, such as at a _newline icon, otherwise, takes effect at the next available line break.

• A _newcolumn icon in the last column causes a page eject.

• A _newcolumn icon can be inserted to make the column preceding the icon longer or shorter than the next column (depending on the icon location), rather than the same length, which normally occurs when space remains on the page.

• Inserting a _newcolumn icon to force a longer column never makes a column overfull. The column length is limited to the space remaining on the page. The column breaks before the icon insertion point.

• Inserting a _newcolumn icon at the point where the page format changes between one and two column format, _newcolumn affects the previous, not the upcoming, columns. If placed at the end of a short amount of two-column text, before a one-column heading, a _newcolumn affects the length of the two columns. It does not force the one-column heading to move to the next page (while a _newcolumn inserted in the second of two columns forces the rest of the column to the next page). Conversely, a _newcolumn placed after a one column heading, before some two-column text causes a page break following the one column heading, rather than forcing the first column of the two-column to be blank.

• A _newcolumn at the very end of a section of multi-column text results in that section using the remainder of the page, in effect, it cancels column balancing.

• If the page has enough space, a _newcolumn in a non-last column does not stop subsequent spanned sections from appearing on the remainder of the same page.