When you apply columns to a document that doesn't contain section breaks, where are the column settings applied?

When columns are applied to a document that does not contain section breaks, the column settings affect the entire document. This means that every part of the text in the document will be arranged in the specified column format. In the absence of section breaks, there are no divisions within the document that would allow for different formatting in specific areas.

Applying columns essentially transforms the way the content flows throughout the entire body of the document, ensuring that all text follows the newly set layout. This approach is particularly useful for creating newsletters, brochures, or any other text that benefits from a multi-column format, maintaining consistency across the entire document.

In scenarios where only certain sections or individual pages require a specific column layout, section breaks would need to be utilized to isolate those areas for separate formatting.