Space Between Paragraphs

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ridge Kennedy
  • Start date Start date
R

Ridge Kennedy

Dear All,

In word processing and page layout programs, I've always tried to
standardize on adding space *after* paragraphs when creating styles or
direct formatting. In my simple brain, it seemed like the simplest, most
logical way to do it. I've learned that Word's "open up" property (method?)
adds space before. Wondering if there is a best practice on this -- space
between paragraphs and where to add it when it's called for.

Sincerely,

Ridge
 
It all depends on what you are doing with your paragraphs, I guess. My
preference is to use space-before.

Out-of-the-box, though, I think body text adds space after.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


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I usually use Space After for Body Text, plus a large amount of Space Before
and a small amount of Space After for headings.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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I find Spacing Before convenient, because it "saves" styles, in the
following sense: I frequently use first line indents for new
paragraphs, which (not surprisingly) means that I need a style with a
first line indent.

But, of course, I also need a style without a first line indent for
the first paragraph below headings; if this style also has some
Spacing Before I can use it for any paragraph where the first line
indent should be suppressed (for example, for the first paragraph
below a table).

Spacing Before is also convenient with bulleted and numbered lists,
since you can have a smaller amount of spacing for those paragraphs
(to keep them closer to the previous unnumbered paragraph to which
they belong). This is trickier with Spacing After. Of course, if you
are using the same distance between all items, it doesn't make a
difference if you used spacing before or spacing after.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message
 
I usually have a Body Text style (with Body Text First Indent as the
following style) that I use after left-aligned headings and a Body Text
Space Before style that I use in the other instances you cite (including in
fiction where the passage of time is indicated).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
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