Paragraph style question... 1

[Nicole0000]

Hi, I have rarely used paragraph style function before so would like to ask a basic qustion re: this.

Say I am typing up a story and after typing multiple lines, I hit return but would like more space so I hit return 2x's.

but that space is too much so I decrease the leading to say 10 and like it and would like that to be the default each times return is hit. How can I do that?

Secondly, once created, can I hightlight a prior story and apply this leading as I manually did two returns inbetween each paragraph?

Thanks. Nicole.

 

[eugenetyson]

You need to go to

Windows>Types and Tables>Pargraphs

Find the Space After and apply the spacing that way, rather than inserting loads of paragraph returns.

 

[Nicole0000]

Hi, yes the "space after" does work better.

one question though.

There us no "preview" as we figure out the amount, is there?

 

[apepp]

...once you have created a paragraph style with 'space after' values, in the paragraph style dialog box, bottom left, is a preview checkbox, click this then you can adjust the values and see the result before you commit...

Andrew

 

[MikeMoss]

Hi

Since you are to and using the paragraph spacing I’d like to suggest an idea that you may not have tried.

I do a lot of menus, which means lots of columns of type in various sizes with different spacing, category, heads, Item name, item description, italic copy such as “Served with such and such so much extra” etc.

I want the spacing between the elements to be consistent but I want the overall column depth to come out exactly so the columns will line up top and bottom.

I set all the spacing for each one, i.e. the space between the category, item name and the item description along with the style for each, font, point size etc.

I apply the same leading to all the type regardless of point size.

The paragraph spacing takes care of the spacing for the larger type.

Once this is done you can adjust the leading for the entire column in one piece.
Simply by adjusting the leading by fractions of a pica you can make the columns come out exactly the same length as long as they are reasonably close to start with.

And of course you can make any column come out the length you want so that it will line up with other elements in your layout.

This is especially helpful later when the menu is revised and I have to add or delete a line here and there. If I have had to add a line I just reduce the leading a little, if I lose a line I can just add a little leading.

This may not be the way to go for everything but it is great for menus and annual reports.

Give it a try…

Mike

 

[eugenetyson]

Mike I hear ya. It's a neat way and probably nice for you. But have you tried this.

Right click (ctrl click on the mac) and on the contextual menu choose Text Frame Options. Change your vertical alignment to Justified. Now all the text will auto line up with the bottom of the column. The less lines you have the more leading is input, and the more lines you have the tighter the leading gets, so to speak. The only thing is that the vertical justification does not work when you have a runaround object in there. And there's one or two other things that turns off the vertical justification.

Just a thought,
Euge

 

[MikeMoss]

Thanks eugene

I'll check that out.

Mike