Word 2008 line (not paragraph) leading (5.x compatibility)

[dschwein]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

I've been using Word X for a number of years but continue to use preferences for Word 5.1. (Under preferences -> compatibility, I choose "Word for the Macintosh 5.x"

One of the advantages of this is that I can have more text on a page since one of the options is "Don't add leading (extra space) between rows of text."

I recently installed Word 2008. When I open files I created with Word X, there is extra space added between rows of text. (This is not about space before or after paragraphs, which several other postings have addressed.)

When I check preferences -> compatibility, "Don't add leading (extra space) between rows of text" is checked, but the extra space is there.

The only way I can find to fix this is to change the line spacing to "multiple" .9 or .85 (I haven't figured out the exact number yet). Needless to say, doing this on every previously created document I open is a daunting prospect.

My sense is that Word 2008 is not properly applying this compatibility option. Until I get this figured out, I see no sense in using Word 2008.

Any ideas?

 

[John McGhie]

I think you may have missed the setting that is doing this.

In previous versions of Word, the Normal style was set to have 0 points
space above and below each paragraph.

In Word 2008, the default is 10 points space after.

You can modify the Normal style if you wish: and when you do, check the box
labelled "Add to template" so you write the change back to your Normal
template.

After that, all documents you create will have no space after. Documents
already created will need to be reset.

This approach REMOVES the space after, which is preferable to suppressing
it, because on someone else's computer, your formatting will otherwise fall
to bits unless they set compatibility options, which almost no users do!

Hope this helps

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

I've been using Word X for a number of years but continue to use preferences
for Word 5.1. (Under preferences -> compatibility, I choose "Word for the
Macintosh 5.x"

One of the advantages of this is that I can have more text on a page since one
of the options is "Don't add leading (extra space) between rows of text."

I recently installed Word 2008. When I open files I created with Word X, there
is extra space added between rows of text. (This is not about space before or
after paragraphs, which several other postings have addressed.)

When I check preferences -> compatibility, "Don't add leading (extra space)
between rows of text" is checked, but the extra space is there.

The only way I can find to fix this is to change the line spacing to
"multiple" .9 or .85 (I haven't figured out the exact number yet). Needless to
say, doing this on every previously created document I open is a daunting
prospect.

My sense is that Word 2008 is not properly applying this compatibility option.
Until I get this figured out, I see no sense in using Word 2008.

Any ideas?

--

Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[dschwein]

Thanks, but my problem is not about extra spacing after paragraphs. Extra spacing is being added between lines within paragraphs.

 

[CyberTaz]

Three things that come to mind on this - although not seeing the files puts
me at a distinct disadvantage;

1- Perhaps there is actually some font substitution taking place & the
leading (line spacing) metrics of the substitute differ from the original,
and

2- It's [remotely] "possible" that what appear to be *lines* are actually
*paragraphs* so the 10 pts. After are actually the net result after all...
have you turned on the non-printing characters (¶) to see if that offers a
clue?,

3- It could also be that some formatting adjustment made in the original
files is being interpreted as something other than Single line spacing. The
Format> Paragraph dialog or View> Reveal Formatting should provide insight
on that.

I can think of nothing else about the program which would cause a difference
in line spacing to occur arbitrarily, and have not seen anything of this
nature in any of the older files I've worked with in 2008.

 

[dschwein]

1. I don't think there is font substitution because when I print out the same file with Word X and then Word 2008 and hold them up together to the light, the first line matches but the second is off.

2. No. The lines are not paragraphs.

3. Under both versions, the format indicates single space.

I really appreciate the suggestions.

If anyone actually is willing to examine a file, I would gladly e-mail them a Word file, and PDFs showing how the file looks with both versions of Word.