Precise Control of Paragraph Formatting
10 min read Chapter 7
Master paragraph alignment, indentation, line spacing, and paragraph spacing settings.
Paragraph formatting is the second pillar of typesetting (the first is font styles). Proper paragraph settings significantly enhance document professionalism.
7.1 Paragraph Alignment
Four Basic Alignment Options
| Alignment | Shortcut | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Left | Ctrl+L | Most body text |
| Center | Ctrl+E | Titles, covers, signatures |
| Right | Ctrl+R | Dates, authors, signature areas |
| Justified | Ctrl+J | Academic body text, press releases |
Advanced Alignment
- Distributed (Ctrl+Shift+J): Distributes text evenly across line width
Practical Recommendations
- Body text always Left or Justified
- Headings Centered
- Footer/page numbers Right or Centered
7.2 Paragraph Indentation
First Line Indent (Most Common)
Chinese paragraphs conventionally indent the first line by 2 characters.
Operation:
- Right-click paragraph → Paragraph → Indentation tab
- Set first line indent to 2 characters
Wrong Approach
❌ Using spaces to indent (problem: space width changes when font size changes, messing up layout) ✅ Using first line indent (correct: indent distance remains constant regardless of font size changes)
Left and Right Indent
Used for indenting entire paragraphs, such as quotes, lists.
Hanging Indent
First line not indented, subsequent lines indented. Used for numbered lists, references.
7.3 Line Spacing and Paragraph Spacing
Line Spacing
| Spacing Value | Use | Common In |
|---|---|---|
| Single | Most compact | Meeting minutes, memos |
| 1.15x | Slightly loose | Business reports, emails |
| 1.5x | Standard | Academic papers, textbooks |
| Double | Most loose | Drafts, manuscripts |
Recommendations
- Academic documents: 1.5x line spacing
- Business documents: 1.15x line spacing
- Screen display: 1.5x or double (increases readability)
Paragraph Spacing
| Type | Recommended | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Spacing Before | 0pt or 6pt | White space before paragraph |
| Spacing After | 6pt or 12pt | White space after paragraph |
Practical Examples
- Headings typically have 12pt spacing after (create distance from body)
- Body paragraphs have 0pt spacing before and after (use line spacing to adjust)
- List items have 6pt spacing after (increase readability)
7.4 Tab Stops and Precise Alignment
Purpose of Tab Stops
Align content at specific positions (e.g., aligning TOC page numbers).
Setting Tab Stops
- Select paragraphs to set
- Right-click → Paragraph → Tab stops
- Enter position (e.g., 15cm)
- Select “Right alignment”
- Select leader (e.g., ”…”)
- Click “Set”