Change line or paragraph spacing

Line spacing determines the amount of vertical space between lines of text in a paragraph. By default, lines are single-spaced, meaning that the spacing accommodates the largest font in that line, plus a small amount of extra space.

Paragraph spacing determines the amount of space above or below a paragraph. When you press ENTER to start a new paragraph, the spacing is carried over to the next paragraph, but you can change the settings for each paragraph.

You set line and paragraph spacing on the Indents and Spacing tab of the Paragraph dialog box (Format menu).

You can also align text to baseline guides to precisely line up text across multiple columns. You set baseline guides on the Baseline Guides tab of the Layout Guides dialog box (Arrange menu). You choose to align text to baseline guides on the Indents and Spacing tab of the Paragraph dialog box (Format menu).

The default settings for line and paragraph settings are determined by the style used. Find links to more information about text styles in the See Also section

Change the space between paragraphs

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. On the Format menu, click Paragraph, and then click the Indents and Spacing tab.

3. Under Line spacing, do either of the following:

   • In the Before paragraphs box, type or select the amount of spacing you want above the paragraph.

   • In the After paragraphs box, type or select the amount of spacing you want below the paragraph.

     Tip: The default value for space before or after paragraphs is displayed in points. You can specify other measurement units by typing the abbreviation for them after the numerical value: inches (in), centimeters (cm), picas (pi), points (pt), or pixels (px). When you specify a unit other than points, Microsoft Office Publisher converts the measurement to points.

Set automatic spacing between lines of text

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. On the Format menu, click Paragraph, and then click the Indents and Spacing tab.

3. Under Line spacing, in the Between lines box, type or select the amount of spacing you want between lines of text. For example, to double space type or select 2sp. To change from double space to single space type or select 1sp.

   Tip: The default value for space between lines is displayed in spaces (sp). If you type a whole number, Publisher interprets it as a number of spaces. You can specify other measurement units by typing the abbreviation for them after the numerical value: inches (in), centimeters (cm), picas (pi), points (pt), or pixels (px). When you specify a unit other than spaces, Publisher converts the measurement to points.