Spacing

 

Line spacing is adjusted from within the Page Layout dialog. It may be adjusted with the Fixed line spacing adjustment or the Automatic line spacing adjustment, also known as automatic leading (pronounced "ledding"). Automatic line spacing adjusts spacing if the size of the font is changed. Fixed line spacing calculates a fixed amount of space from the base line of the preceding line and does not adjust if the font size is changed. Automatic line spacing is the default and it is recommended for general use, particularly if you plan to use different font sizes in the document. Spacing between paragraphs is adjusted with the Extra Spacing After slider control.  

 

To change the spacing for a single paragraph or block of text, see Paragraph Setup: Spacing.

 

To open the Page Layout dialog, click Format, Page Layout.

 

Fixed Line Spacing

 

To set the line spacing controls in the Page Layout dialog using Fixed line spacing:

 

1Click the Spacing tab.
2Click the Fixed radio button.
3Click drop down list box to select a fixed line spacing value. If the spacing value you desire is not listed, select Custom from the drop down list, then use the Spacing slider control on right to increase and decrease the Fixed line spacing. You may also directly enter a value into the slider window to adjust the Fixed line spacing value. Observe the Preview window for an indication of how adjusting Fixed line spacing affects your text.

 

Automatic Line Spacing (Auto Leading)

The Automatic line spacing control enables you to increase or decrease the space between lines of text. Often at larger point sizes, the bottom of the preceding line may touch the top of a subsequent line -- especially if the first line contains a lower case j, p, q or y. In such cases Automatic line spacing should be used to add additional spacing between lines. Unlike the Fixed line spacing adjustment, Automatic line spacing takes into account the vertical length of characters that make up a preceding line. It then places the subsequent line lower than the lowest character of the line above. For example, an Automatic line spacing value of one places lines one space below the bottom of the lowest character of preceding lines. This prevents a preceding and subsequent line from touching.

 

To adjust Automatic line spacing from within the Page Layout dialog:

 

1Click the Spacing tab.
2Click the Automatic radio button.
3Use slider control on right to increase and decrease Automatic line spacing value.  You may also directly enter a value into the slider window to adjust the Automatic line spacing value.  Observe the Preview window for an indication of how adjusting the Automatic line spacing value affects your text.

 

Extra Spacing After Paragraph

 

In order to increase the space after a paragraphs, the Extra Spacing After Each Paragraph control has been provided.

 

To adjust the space after a paragraph from within the Page Layout dialog:

 

1Click the Spacing tab.
2Use Extra Spacing After Each Paragraph slider to increase and decrease spacing value. You may also directly enter a value into the slider window to adjust the Extra Spacing After Each Paragraph line spacing value. Observe the Preview window for an indication of how the adjustments you make affect your text.

 

For an explanation of other settings in the Page Layout dialog, see Page Layout, Margins and Paper.

 

 

See also:

Spacing Adjustments (spacing between letters and words)

Spacing: Action Line