Line spacing

[scott_Tilden]

I am using single line spacing, but when I push the return key it skips two lines like it is creating a new paragraph and not simply moving to the next line.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Rainbird]

I am having the exact same problem. Word wrap itself works fine. The problem arises when the return key is used to skip to the next line. It will double space instead of single space.

The Format menu - Paragraph - Indent and Spacing, is set correctly to single space line spacing. I did an install over Mac Office 2004. Everything worked fine before. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Rainbird]

Doing a modified search on this forum provided the answer to this line spacing question. See this thread:

 <http://www.officeformac.com/ProductForums/Word/918>

 

[CyberTaz]

Good research Too bad more folks don't take the same initiative - We'd
get more sleep;-)

Just keep in mind that Space Before/After is the preferred way to gain space
between paragraphs... Banging on the return key is a throwback to manual
typewriters & should be reserved for that type of equipment only.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Rainbird]

Thank you for the reply. I don't have a problem with the double space between paragraphs. The problem arises when doing an address header in a business letter. like so:

Mr. Robert J. Doe
1212 Main Street
Any Town, Ca. 11212

Mac Word 2008 was inserting a blank space between each of those lines and would not allow you to manually correct it.

 

[CyberTaz]

But the thing is that each "line" in your example constitutes a paragraph
Any time you press return you're denoting the *end* of one para & the
*start* of another. That's why the Space Before and/or Space After
attribute(s) come into play. [Paragraph Spacing is in addition to the Line
Spacing used on the lines within a multi-line paragraph.]

Modifying the style of the paragraphs, using a different style that doesn't
include the para spacing or directly changing the para formatting are 3
options - each has its respective pros & cons.

Another choice: To make the entire address block a single multi-line para,
use a manual line break rather than just pressing return at the end of the
line.

 

[Bill Weylock]

I collaborate with people who have no conception of this basic concept.

Even more annoying is the semi-demented manual placement of bullets, using
not tabs but spaces.

And of course they often delete my styles.

One person has somehow enabled Chinese fonts that are attached to her Normal
style sheet. Actually, I can¹t figure out what is going on because I can¹t
see her system and there is no discussing it. But it drives Acrobat crazy.


Oh, the other joy is when people add dozens of returns in order to put
spaces between tables.

I could go on... But I will be merciful.

 

[CyberTaz]

<snip>

I collaborate with people who have no conception of this basic concept.

<snip>

Don't be *too* hard on 'em, Bill - in most cases they've never been trained
or informed on many of these issues. The overwhelming majority of people
using word processing software are simply attempting to transfer whatever
*typewriting* skills they may have - they see the computer as a typewriter
with a TV screen attached

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Bill Weylock]

I guess taking out a contract on them is over-reacting?

Of course you¹re right. By dumb luck a guy I hired to train me on my first
MacII (had to be up and running for business immediately) was a Word whiz. I
learned styles and paragraph manipulation at the outset. 3 months later he
had a job at MS and got to be a very senior tech support guy.

<snip>

<snip>

Don't be *too* hard on 'em, Bill - in most cases they've never been trained
or informed on many of these issues. The overwhelming majority of people
using word processing software are simply attempting to transfer whatever
*typewriting* skills they may have - they see the computer as a typewriter
with a TV screen attached

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Best,

Bill
Imac 2.8Ghz -10.5.1
Office 2008/2003 - Windows XP Pro SP2

 

[Rainbird]

I am glad you're not too hard on me. Of course, Bob Jones is correct that I think of and use a word processor exactly like a typewriter. At 65 years of age, its difficult to break away and learn new skills. The advice to use a "manual line break rather than press return" went right over my head. I haven't a clue what that means. So I changed the style as suggested and now I am happy

So, why do I need an expensive and powerful application like Microsoft Word when TextEdit or Pages would almost certainly work for me? Like most Macintosh users I need it to send and receive .doc files with my PC counterparts.

 

[Elliott Roper]

I am glad you're not too hard on me. Of course, Bob Jones is correct that I
think of and use a word processor exactly like a typewriter. At 65 years of
age, its difficult to break away and learn new skills. The advice to use a
"manual line break rather than press return" went right over my head. I
haven't a clue what that means. So I changed the style as suggested and now I
am happy <br>
<br>
So, why do I need an expensive and powerful application like Microsoft Word
when TextEdit or Pages would almost certainly work for me? Like most
Macintosh users I need it to send and receive .doc files with my PC counterparts.

Listen here junior!
You will be pleasantly surprised by Pages ability to send and receive
..doc files that folk on the dark side will be sure came from Office.

I decided that moving from being a power user on Word 2004 to learning
how to be as good on the new one was not worth the effort. I'm spending
the effort on Pages instead. It is a delight to use. Satisfyingly
Mac-ish. Office 2008 or Pages? A *very* interesting question. My answer
is Office 2004 *and* Pages. - so far.

For serious work, I'm using InDesign and LaTeX. The first one proves it
ain't the money that's keeping me off Word 2008. (Adobe charges like a
wounded buffalo, especially here in Pommyland[1]. It is no wonder that
it is known as "Treasure Island" by American tech companies.)

The good thing about being retired is that you *can* make the time to
learn new skills. I'm catching up on stuff that I had to whizz past
while I needed to earn money, like number theory, Python and Objective
C.

I gotta say that number theory is a bit of a slog for an old curmudgeon.
Should I have spent less time chasing women and more time on the
Riemann Zeta function before my brain started going downhill at 30?
Nah! I don't think so!

Coming back to Word. If I can persuade you to think about getting past
typewriter mode, have a look at Clive Huggan's "Bend Word to Your Will"
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html
That's how another old curmudgeon got his head round Word and made it
really sing.[2]

1. Pommyland == UK (for the few Americans who don't know the Bruce
sketch from Monty Python)
2. Hiya Clive! Tonight's exuberant irrelevance was provided by an
excellent Castilian Tempranillo that went with the dinner cooked by the
one I caught all those years ago when I should have been going to maths
lectures. ;-)

 

[Clive Huggan]

Listen here junior!
You will be pleasantly surprised by Pages ability to send and receive
.doc files that folk on the dark side will be sure came from Office.


I decided that moving from being a power user on Word 2004 to learning
how to be as good on the new one was not worth the effort. I'm spending
the effort on Pages instead. It is a delight to use. Satisfyingly
Mac-ish. Office 2008 or Pages? A *very* interesting question. My answer
is Office 2004 *and* Pages. - so far.

Agreed. Would be nice, though, if Pages would allow some simple "minimum
maintenance"[3] factors like discretionary hyphens (i.e., as in
Command-hyphen in Word). Would save heaps of time in long documents.

For serious work, I'm using InDesign and LaTeX. The first one proves it
ain't the money that's keeping me off Word 2008. (Adobe charges like a
wounded buffalo, especially here in Pommyland[1]. It is no wonder that
it is known as "Treasure Island" by American tech companies.)

The good thing about being retired is that you *can* make the time to
learn new skills. I'm catching up on stuff that I had to whizz past
while I needed to earn money, like number theory, Python and Objective
C.

I gotta say that number theory is a bit of a slog for an old curmudgeon.
Should I have spent less time chasing women and more time on the
Riemann Zeta function before my brain started going downhill at 30?
Nah! I don't think so!

Coming back to Word. If I can persuade you to think about getting past
typewriter mode, have a look at Clive Huggan's "Bend Word to Your Will"
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html
That's how another old curmudgeon got his head round Word and made it
really sing.[2]

Nah, I was never good at singing...

"Rainbird": If you're interested to look at Word's styles, start with page
89 -- "Styles and templates ‹ the keys to consistency and saving time".

1. Pommyland == UK (for the few Americans who don't know the Bruce
sketch from Monty Python)
2. Hiya Clive! Tonight's exuberant irrelevance was provided by an
excellent Castilian Tempranillo that went with the dinner cooked by the
one I caught all those years ago when I should have been going to maths
lectures. ;-)

And I vouch that it was a fine and reasoned decision you made, Elliott!
[Me, I was the French tutor...]

I read that Castilian tempranillo has high levels of Eloquence Flavins!
;-)

And Bill, if you're still there: I still chuckle at your throw-away line of
some years ago, which I quote at page 90 of "Bend Word to Your Will":
"Take 20 minutes or so and read up on styles in Word. Yeah, yeah, the
knowledge should be available in pill form and the jerks at MS should long
ago have introduced telekinetic formatting. For now, though, you¹re working
in Word, which is a cool program if you grasp styles and infuriating if you
don¹t." Says it all!

[3] The main "minimum maintenance" features of my Word documents are listed
in Appendix A of "Bend Word to Your Will", starting on page 164; once you
start using them you wish you hadn't used Word like a typewriter all these
years... ;-)

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
============