Points of Space Before suppressed.

[Henslow]

I thought I had found every last attribute setting in Word. This stumps me.

I have a document where the 10 points of space before a Heading 2 gets
reduced as the space after for the heading paragraph above is increased. When
a normal pargraph is above, the 10 points of space is active. But when a
heading level 1 or 2 is above, the 10 points is absorbed into the space after
of the preceding paragraph.

"Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style" is not turned on. I'm
mystified.

 

[Jezebel]

The space between paragraphs is the greater of SpaceBelow of the upper par
and the SpaceAbove of the lower; not the sum.

 

[Henslow]

Thanks. But that's not how spacing works in the standard template I use.
Points above and points below are the sum for spacing. I just can't figure
out what's making the difference between the template I use all the time and
the (apparently) modified template attached to my current document.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

On the Compatibility tab of Tools | Options, check the box for "Don't use
HTML paragraph auto spacing."

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Henslow

I find this 'feature' to be very confusing. Here, 10 + 10 = 10. This feature
was introduced (from memory) in Word 2000. But you can turn it off on a
per-document basis.

To do that, Tools > Options > Compatability. Search the long list, and tick
"Don't use HTML paragraph auto spacing". Now, 10 + 10 = 20.

If you want to set this option for all future documents, open Normal.dot and
make the change there, as described at
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CustomizeNormalTemplate.htm in
the section "To make other changes".

Or, if you use other templates, use File > Open to open them, make the
change, make a trivial change in the document (eg spacebar then backspace),
then save.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

It is not necessary to open Normal.dot to make this the default. Open a new
blank document based on Normal.dot. Change this compatibility option (and
any others you like), then click Default...

 

[Henslow]

Thanks so much to everyone who helped in clearing this up! I had even
checked under Compatibility for a solution, but just didn't recognize that
wording as being what I was after.