Space with Subtitles

[Kathy]

I am working on a paper where double spacing is required.
When I do subtitles it appears as if the spacing is wider
than double spacing. I believe it is something in word
that is adjusting the spacing, but I'm not sure. How do I
make it truly double space???

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Double spacing is not a set amount as it is on a typewriter (3 lpi); it is
twice the Single spacing, which is based on font size. Every font has a
certain amount of "leading" built in. For Times New Roman, Single spacing is
about 120% of the nominal point size, making line spacing 12 points for
10-point type (6 lpi, equivalent to typewriter single spacing). As the font
size increases, so does the line spacing, and for larger point sizes, Double
spacing begins to appear much too "spacey." If your headings are larger than
your body type, then of course Double spacing will be more for them than for
the body text.

Word's built-in heading styles also have some Space Before and After defined
as part of the style. When you use these with double-spaced text, you may
want to adjust either or both.

 

[Stefan Blom]

If you specify a fixed amount, such as 24 pt, for the line
spacing of both headings and body text, it will look better.

To specify a fixed value for line spacing: Choose
Format>Paragraph. Click the Indents and Spacing tab. Under Line
Spacing, choose "Exactly", and type the desired amount.

Note that if you are using styles, you should change the style
definition, instead.

 

[Stefan Blom]

I wouldn't bother with "look and feel" too much on a double-spaced
document: This is a choice for easy of correction remarks, and has
nothing whatsoever to do with "readability".

But whenever double spacing is required, why not make it look as
good as possible?

 

[Robert M. Franz]

Word's built-in heading styles also have some Space Before and After defined
as part of the style. When you use these with double-spaced text, you may
want to adjust either or both.

I wouldn't bother with "look and feel" too much on a double-spaced
document: This is a choice for easy of correction remarks, and has
nothing whatsoever to do with "readability".

2cents
Robert

 

[Robert M. Franz]

Hi Stefan

But whenever double spacing is required, why not make it look as
good as possible?

I just don't think a double-spaced document _can_ look very good at all.

But I agree with you: *If* you want to make it look as good as possible,
then adjust the spacing via styles.

Greetinx
Robert

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Good point.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

I wouldn't bother with "look and feel" too much on a double-spaced

document: This is a choice for easy of correction remarks, and has
nothing whatsoever to do with "readability".

Well, theses/dissertations must be double-spaced but one would certainly
want those to look as nice as possible. And I consider "look and feel" in
the double-spaced documents that I require my students to submit. But I'm
not particularly picky about it, and this exact comment would not occur to
me (I'm just hoping for a title that doesn't merge right into the text,
visually).

Daiya

 

[Robert M. Franz]

Hello Daiya

Well, theses/dissertations must be double-spaced but one would certainly
want those to look as nice as possible. And I consider "look and feel" in
the double-spaced documents that I require my students to submit. But I'm
not particularly picky about it, and this exact comment would not occur to
me (I'm just hoping for a title that doesn't merge right into the text,
visually).

I'm glad the theses from the students I am looking after for don't have
to be double-spaced! At the moment they're finally submitting them, the
professor will not bother to write corrections into it any more, I
reckon. Interim printouts, they doublespace it I think; but changing the
styles wouldn't make sense.

2cents
Robert